town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Surf City, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 3% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Surf City?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 31, peaking early Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Surf City, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi NW, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi NW, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Surf City
Mostly: Open water; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland; Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Surf City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 31st | 61st | 22nd | 48th |
| North Carolina | 3rd | 1st | 14th | 94th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 5th | 12th | 24th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Surf City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Holly Ridge 4 mi · North Topsail Beach 7 mi · Topsail Beach 8 mi · Sneads Ferry 12 mi · Hampstead 14 mi · Porters Neck 17 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 Surf City (34.4373, -77.5349); 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.