town in North Carolina

Honey bee forage in Whitsett, North Carolina

Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); watermelons (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Whitsett?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Whitsett, 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 30.

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, likely to set over some months
  • 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, 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 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Watermelons: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NW, blooms late May – early Sep (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 Whitsett

Mostly: Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi N.

Things to watch

  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Watermelons: insecticides used on about 38% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.

How Whitsett ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US74th94th48th17th
North Carolina64th84th55th50th
Piedmont85th89th79th77th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 61% 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 Whitsett: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Gibsonville 2 mi · Sedalia 3 mi · Elon 4 mi · McLeansville 5 mi · Burlington 6 mi · Alamance 6 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 Whitsett (36.0792, -79.5723); 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.