town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Cooleemee, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in North Carolina. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other North Carolina sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cooleemee?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cooleemee, 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 Apr 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 158 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Cooleemee
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi SE; open water 0.21 mi W.
How Cooleemee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 92nd | 57th | 23rd |
| North Carolina | 65th | 72nd | 67th | 63rd |
| Piedmont | 86th | 84th | 89th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Cooleemee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mocksville 6 mi · Cleveland 9 mi · Tyro 10 mi · Yadkin College 10 mi · Spencer 11 mi · Salisbury 11 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 Cooleemee (35.8112, -80.5569); 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.