town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Cove City, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cove City?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jun 30, peaking late May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cove City, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, cotton; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 390 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 260 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jun (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 Cove City
Mostly: Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi NW.
How Cove City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 96th | 76th | 10th |
| North Carolina | 96th | 94th | 89th | 27th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 91st | 97th | 76th | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Cove City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dover 7 mi · Trenton 9 mi · Vanceboro 12 mi · River Bend 13 mi · Graingers 14 mi · Pollocksville 14 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 Cove City (35.189, -77.3205); 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.