community in New Jersey
Honey bee forage in Columbia, New Jersey
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in New Jersey. Against other New Jersey sites it stands out most in summer (52nd percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); buckwheat (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Columbia?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Columbia, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early 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 Columbia
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.1 mi SW.
How Columbia ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 70th | 63rd | 52nd |
| New Jersey | 40th | 40th | 52nd | 27th |
| Ridge and Valley | 53rd | 35th | 79th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Columbia: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Delaware 3 mi · Hainesburg 3 mi · Mount Hermon 5 mi · Bridgeville 7 mi · Belvidere 7 mi · Hope 7 mi
All towns in New Jersey · 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 Columbia (40.9259, -75.0941); 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.