town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Troy, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring and fall (55th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.2 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Troy?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Troy, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, 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); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 4 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 Troy
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.38 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 54% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Troy ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 89th | 34th | 19th |
| North Carolina | 42nd | 55th | 33rd | 55th |
| Piedmont | 67th | 73rd | 55th | 81st |
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 Troy: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Biscoe 6 mi · Star 7 mi · Candor 10 mi · Mount Gilead 12 mi · Badin 13 mi · Seagrove 14 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 Troy (35.3646, -79.8919); 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.