community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Hightsville, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.8 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hightsville?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jul 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hightsville, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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 176 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 161 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi E, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 4 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 Hightsville
Mostly: Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi E.
How Hightsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 78th | 30th | 50th |
| North Carolina | 30th | 19th | 26th | 97th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 28th | 41st | 34th | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Hightsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wrightsboro 1 mi · Blue Clay Farms 3 mi · Skippers Corner 4 mi · Northchase 4 mi · Kings Grant 4 mi · Belville 5 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 Hightsville (34.2694, -77.9375); 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.