village in Ohio
Honey bee forage in Otway, Ohio
Estimated forage here is better than about 9% of sites in Ohio. Against other Ohio sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in summer (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Otway?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Otway, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Soybeans: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms late Jun – 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 Otway
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi SW.
How Otway ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 89th | 44th | 46th |
| Ohio | 9th | 76th | 9th | 64th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 51st | 53rd | 46th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Otway: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rarden 5 mi · McDermott 7 mi · West Portsmouth 10 mi · Lucasville 11 mi · Friendship 12 mi · Rosemount 13 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 Otway (38.8649, -83.1882); 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.