borough in Pennsylvania

Honey bee forage in Centralia, Pennsylvania

Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it ranks highest in spring (36th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.5 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Centralia?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
  • Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 30, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Oct 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Centralia, 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 10.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi S, blooms early Jul – 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 Centralia

Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.34 mi W; open water 0.36 mi W.

How Centralia ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US28th60th40th46th
Pennsylvania19th36th19th32nd
Ridge and Valley6th12th44th59th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 79% 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 Centralia: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Aristes 1 mi · Wilburton Number Two 1 mi · Ashland 2 mi · Locustdale 2 mi · Fountain Springs 2 mi · Wilburton Number One 3 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 Centralia (40.8045, -76.344); 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.