town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in East Bend, 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 summer (76th percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in East Bend?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Bend, 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 6.
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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, 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 East Bend
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi NW.
How East Bend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 92nd | 63rd | 14th |
| North Carolina | 67th | 69th | 76th | 40th |
| Piedmont | 87th | 81st | 94th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 East Bend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Smithtown 4 mi · Tobaccoville 8 mi · Pinnacle 9 mi · Lewisville 9 mi · King 9 mi · Bethania 10 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 East Bend (36.2175, -80.5089); 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.