community in Maine
Honey bee forage in Lisbon, Maine
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Maine. Against other Maine sites it stands out most in fall (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sweet corn (nearest 1.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.7 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lisbon?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lisbon, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Sweet corn: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Lisbon
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock-Hardwood Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.23 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Lisbon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 57th | 64th | 63rd |
| Maine | 83rd | 73rd | 76th | 95th |
| Acadian Plains and Hills | 89th | 77th | 89th | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Lisbon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lisbon Falls 3 mi · Lewiston 5 mi · Sabattus 6 mi · Auburn 8 mi · Bowdoinham 10 mi · Topsham 10 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Lisbon (44.0297, -70.1075); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.