community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Conestoga, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Conestoga?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Conestoga, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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): 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 1,211 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Conestoga
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi S.
How Conestoga ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 69th | 75th | 46th |
| Pennsylvania | 76th | 75th | 81st | 32nd |
| Northern Piedmont | 29th | 25th | 61st | 31st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Conestoga: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Willow Street 4 mi · Millersville 5 mi · Refton 5 mi · Lampeter 6 mi · Lancaster 7 mi · Rohrerstown 8 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 Conestoga (39.9398, -76.336); 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.