town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Coats, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Coats?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Coats, 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 118 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 3 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 Coats
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland; Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.34 mi S.
How Coats ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 96th | 67th | 24th |
| North Carolina | 89th | 93rd | 79th | 63rd |
| Southeastern Plains | 93rd | 95th | 89th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 51% 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 Coats: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Buies Creek 4 mi · Erwin 6 mi · Dunn 7 mi · Benson 7 mi · Lillington 8 mi · Angier 8 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 Coats (35.4069, -78.6686); 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.