community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Ocracoke, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 0% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (61st percentile) and lowest in spring and summer (below the 1st). Expect a dearth from early Mar to late Apr.
When is the honey flow in Ocracoke?
- First forage: Jan 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Dearth: Mar 1 to Apr 30
- Dearth: Jun 1 to Jul 15
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ocracoke, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, soybeans; 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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi NE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 1 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 Ocracoke
Mostly: Open water; Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh; Barren.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.12 mi SE; open water 0.13 mi SE.
How Ocracoke ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | below the 1st | below the 1st | below the 1st | 61st |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | below the 1st | below the 1st | 1st | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Ocracoke: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hatteras 20 mi · Atlantic 24 mi · Frisco 26 mi · Buxton 29 mi · Swan Quarter 30 mi · Engelhard 30 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 Ocracoke (35.0732, -75.9985); 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.