community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Columbus, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in summer (65th percentile) and lowest in spring (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Columbus?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Columbus, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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; extra 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 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 Columbus
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; North-Central Appalachian Acidic Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi N.
How Columbus ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 59th | 64th | 54th |
| Pennsylvania | 50th | 34th | 65th | 62nd |
| Erie Drift Plain | 17th | 32nd | 22nd | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Columbus: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Corry 3 mi · Bear Lake 5 mi · Elgin 9 mi · Spartansburg 10 mi · Wattsburg 12 mi · Sugar Grove 13 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 Columbus (41.9479, -79.5832); 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.