town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 3.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ocean Isle Beach?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ocean Isle 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, 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 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi N, blooms late Apr – late 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 Ocean Isle Beach
Mostly: Open water; Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 60% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Ocean Isle Beach ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 89th | 32nd | 39th |
| North Carolina | 58th | 57th | 30th | 82nd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 49th | 75th | 36th | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Ocean Isle Beach: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sunset Beach 4 mi · Calabash 6 mi · Shallotte 6 mi · Holden Beach 7 mi · Carolina Shores 8 mi · Varnamtown 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 Ocean Isle Beach (33.9036, -78.4379); 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.