community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Cashtown, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 0.8 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Cashtown?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cashtown, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 133 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 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 Cashtown
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Cashtown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 78th | 77th | 49th |
| Pennsylvania | 88th | 87th | 86th | 44th |
| Northern Piedmont | 56th | 44th | 70th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Cashtown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McKnightstown 1 mi · Orrtanna 3 mi · Arendtsville 4 mi · Biglerville 6 mi · Fairfield 7 mi · Gettysburg 7 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 Cashtown (39.8844, -77.3507); 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.