town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Hamilton, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in summer (85th percentile) and lowest in spring (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hamilton?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (cotton, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hamilton, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): cotton, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cotton: about 97 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, 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 Hamilton
Mostly: Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Hamilton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 87th | 73rd | 30th |
| North Carolina | 83rd | 47th | 85th | 70th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 75th | 69th | 73rd | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Hamilton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hassell 5 mi · Oak City 6 mi · Everetts 8 mi · Robersonville 9 mi · Williamston 10 mi · Parmele 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 Hamilton (35.9444, -77.2067); 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.