community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Gloucester, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gloucester?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gloucester, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
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 119 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi W, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 75 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 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 Gloucester
Mostly: Open water; Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Maritime Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.4 mi NE.
How Gloucester ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 87th | 28th | 42nd |
| North Carolina | 52nd | 47th | 23rd | 85th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 44th | 69th | 32nd | 85th |
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 Gloucester: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Marshallberg 1 mi · Harkers Island 3 mi · Davis 6 mi · Beaufort 6 mi · Morehead City 11 mi · Atlantic Beach 12 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 Gloucester (34.7321, -76.5386); 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.