community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in James City, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it ranks highest in summer (13th percentile) and lowest in spring (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 2.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in James City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of James City, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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, spring-flowering shrubs; 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
- Sunflower: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 James City
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest; Appalachian Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi E.
How James City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 18th | 45th | 38th | 24th |
| Pennsylvania | 4th | 3rd | 13th | 5th |
| North Central Appalachians | 18th | 8th | 48th | 22nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 James City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kane 4 mi · Wilcox 9 mi · Sheffield 11 mi · Johnsonburg 12 mi · Mount Jewett 13 mi · Ridgway 14 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 James City (41.6157, -78.8474); 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.