town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 3.0 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.0 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pine Knoll Shores?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 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 Pine Knoll Shores, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi N, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi N, blooms early May – early 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 Pine Knoll Shores
Mostly: Open water; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.17 mi NW.
How Pine Knoll Shores ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 56th | 78th | 26th | 46th |
| North Carolina | 28th | 19th | 18th | 91st |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 27th | 42nd | 28th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Pine Knoll Shores: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brandywine Bay 3 mi · Indian Beach 4 mi · Atlantic Beach 5 mi · Broad Creek 6 mi · Morehead City 6 mi · Newport 6 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 Pine Knoll Shores (34.6972, -76.8319); 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.