town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Watha, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (60th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Watha?
- First forage: Jan 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 30, peaking late May (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Watha, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), 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
- Corn: about 220 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms late May – early Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 101 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms late Apr – early 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 Watha
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.29 mi SW.
How Watha ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 90th | 51st | 10th |
| North Carolina | 62nd | 60th | 59th | 30th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 53rd | 77th | 53rd | 22nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Watha: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wallace 6 mi · Burgaw 7 mi · Teachey 9 mi · St. Helena 10 mi · Greenevers 12 mi · Rose Hill 13 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 Watha (34.6512, -77.9576); 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.