community in New Hampshire
Honey bee forage in Bristol, New Hampshire
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in New Hampshire. Against other New Hampshire sites it stands out most in fall (83rd percentile) and lowest in spring and summer (51st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bristol?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bristol, 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 May 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Bristol
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock-Hardwood Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.48 mi NE.
How Bristol ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 59th | 54th | 47th |
| New Hampshire | 53rd | 51st | 51st | 83rd |
| Northeastern Highlands | 36th | 40th | 30th | 86th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Bristol: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
New Hampton 4 mi · Ashland 8 mi · Plymouth 9 mi · Franklin 11 mi · Meredith 12 mi · Laconia 13 mi
All towns in New Hampshire · 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 Bristol (43.6034, -71.7342); 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.