community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Drifting, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in fall (72nd percentile) and lowest in spring (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Drifting?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Drifting, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, 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 Drifting
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi SE.
How Drifting ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 61st | 60th | 56th |
| Pennsylvania | 46th | 43rd | 56th | 72nd |
| Central Appalachians | 27th | 5th | 95th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Drifting: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grassflat 1 mi · Kylertown 3 mi · Lanse 4 mi · Winburne 4 mi · Casanova 5 mi · Pine Glen 5 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 Drifting (41.0217, -78.114); 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.