city in North Carolina

Honey bee forage in Belmont, North Carolina

Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (44th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.

When is the honey flow in Belmont?

  • First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Belmont, 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 Mar 23.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around Belmont

Mostly: Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; open water 0.27 mi SE.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 57% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.

How Belmont ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US75th94th40th30th
North Carolina67th87th44th70th
Piedmont87th91st68th92nd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 42% 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 Belmont: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Cramerton 2 mi · McAdenville 4 mi · Lowell 5 mi · Mount Holly 7 mi · Ranlo 7 mi · Spencer Mountain 7 mi

All towns in North Carolina · National map · How the scoring works

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 Belmont (35.2213, -81.0411); 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.