community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Welcome, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Welcome?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Welcome, 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 Apr 1.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 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 Welcome
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.11 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi E.
How Welcome ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 94th | 61st | 23rd |
| North Carolina | 73rd | 81st | 72nd | 63rd |
| Piedmont | 90th | 88th | 92nd | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Welcome: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Midway 5 mi · Lexington 8 mi · Yadkin College 8 mi · Advance 8 mi · Wallburg 9 mi · Thomasville 10 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 Welcome (35.9066, -80.2548); 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.