borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Bear Lake, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it ranks highest in summer and fall (44th percentile) and lowest in spring (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.9 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bear Lake?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bear Lake, 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 16.
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): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): 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
- Whole season (March to November): 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
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 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Bear Lake
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.35 mi NW.
How Bear Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 38th | 56th | 55th | 50th |
| Pennsylvania | 30th | 23rd | 44th | 44th |
| Erie Drift Plain | 7th | 21st | 7th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Bear Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Columbus 5 mi · Corry 8 mi · Sugar Grove 8 mi · Youngsville 14 mi · Elgin 14 mi · Spartansburg 15 mi
All towns in Pennsylvania · 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 Bear Lake (41.9934, -79.5013); 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.