community in Maine
Honey bee forage in Steep Falls, Maine
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in Maine. Against other Maine sites it stands out most in spring (53rd percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.3 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 3.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Steep Falls?
- 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, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Steep Falls, 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Sweet corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 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 Steep Falls
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock-Hardwood Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock Forest; Northern Appalachian-Acadian Conifer-Hardwood Acidic Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi NW.
How Steep Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 22nd | 52nd | 40th | 22nd |
| Maine | 25th | 53rd | 11th | 44th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 6th | 5th | 16th | 4th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Steep Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Standish 5 mi · Cornish 9 mi · North Windham 9 mi · Little Falls 10 mi · South Windham 10 mi · Lake Arrowhead 11 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 Steep Falls (43.7912, -70.6139); 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.