city in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Polkville, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Polkville?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Polkville, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Corn: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early May – late 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 Polkville
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi E; open water 0.74 mi SW.
How Polkville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 93rd | 65th | 6th |
| North Carolina | 76th | 78th | 77th | 13th |
| Piedmont | 92nd | 87th | 95th | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Polkville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kingstown 4 mi · Lawndale 5 mi · Casar 7 mi · Lattimore 7 mi · Fallston 8 mi · Belwood 8 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 Polkville (35.4163, -81.644); 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.