town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Minnesott Beach, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (52nd percentile) and lowest in summer (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Minnesott Beach?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Jun 30, peaking early May (soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Minnesott Beach, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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): soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 1,093 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 927 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, 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 Minnesott Beach
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi E.
How Minnesott Beach ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 88th | 35th | 17th |
| North Carolina | 46th | 50th | 35th | 52nd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 40th | 71st | 39th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Minnesott Beach: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arapahoe 2 mi · Cherry Branch 4 mi · Havelock 7 mi · Neuse Forest 7 mi · Oriental 9 mi · Fairfield Harbour 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 Minnesott Beach (34.9865, -76.8241); 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.