borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Big Beaver, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Big Beaver?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Beaver, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Alfalfa: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 154 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Big Beaver
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi W; open water 0.26 mi E.
How Big Beaver ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 75th | 57th | 51st |
| Pennsylvania | 61st | 84th | 49th | 50th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 25th | 13th | 68th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 Big Beaver: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Homewood 2 mi · Koppel 2 mi · New Galilee 2 mi · West Mayfield 3 mi · Darlington 4 mi · New Beaver 4 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 Big Beaver (40.8226, -80.3577); 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.