community in Pennsylvania

Honey bee forage in Hegins, Pennsylvania

Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (51st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 0.1 mi NW).

When is the honey flow in Hegins?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
  • Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hegins, 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 7.

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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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); 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 58 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 64 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Apples: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NW, blooms late Apr – early May

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 Hegins

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

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi N.

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 Hegins ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US70th62nd79th52nd
Pennsylvania80th51st88th54th
Ridge and Valley77th18th92nd79th

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

About 57% 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 Hegins: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Valley View 3 mi · Muir 4 mi · Donaldson 4 mi · Reinerton 5 mi · Orwin 5 mi · Tremont 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 Hegins (40.6524, -76.4876); 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.