city in Maine
Honey bee forage in Old Town, Maine
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in Maine. Against other Maine sites it stands out most in fall (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.6 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Old Town?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Old Town, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-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
- Corn: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Old Town
Mostly: Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest; Northern Appalachian-Acadian Conifer-Hardwood Acidic Swamp; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.21 mi NE.
How Old Town ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 23rd | 48th | 45th | 35th |
| Maine | 28th | 39th | 22nd | 72nd |
| Acadian Plains and Hills | 33rd | 41st | 30th | 64th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Old Town: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Milford 5 mi · Orono 6 mi · Bradley 6 mi · Veazie 7 mi · Bangor 9 mi · Brewer 12 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 Old Town (44.9542, -68.7397); 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.