city in Ohio
Honey bee forage in Marietta, Ohio
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in Ohio. Against other Ohio sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.5 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marietta?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marietta, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, garden flowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 182 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Marietta
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.13 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 78% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Marietta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 93rd | 63rd | 58th |
| Ohio | 33rd | 88th | 24th | 89th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 91st | 77th | 80th | 94th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Marietta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Devola 4 mi · Reno 5 mi · Lowell 8 mi · Lower Salem 10 mi · Newport 12 mi · Vincent 12 mi
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 Marietta (39.4232, -81.4464); 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.