town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Pittsboro, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it ranks highest in fall (42nd percentile) and lowest in summer (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 2.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.3 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Pittsboro?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jul 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pittsboro, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Sorghum: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi W, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 5 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 Pittsboro
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.48 mi S.
How Pittsboro ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 82nd | 31st | 14th |
| North Carolina | 19th | 28th | 27th | 42nd |
| Piedmont | 46th | 51st | 48th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Pittsboro: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fearrington Village 6 mi · Briar Chapel 7 mi · Moncure 8 mi · Governors Club 10 mi · Governors Village 11 mi · Carolina Meadows 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 Pittsboro (35.7284, -79.1559); 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.