town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Calabash, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Calabash?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Calabash, 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 11.
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): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Soybeans: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 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 Calabash
Mostly: Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW; open water 0.11 mi SE.
How Calabash ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 95th | 36th | 38th |
| North Carolina | 81st | 91st | 37th | 79th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 72nd | 95th | 40th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Calabash: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Carolina Shores 2 mi · Sunset Beach 2 mi · Ocean Isle Beach 6 mi · Shallotte 11 mi · Holden Beach 13 mi · Varnamtown 18 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 Calabash (33.9081, -78.5437); 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.