borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Jonestown, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Pennsylvania. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Pennsylvania sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Jonestown?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Jonestown, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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 417 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Jonestown
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.29 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 53% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Jonestown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 83rd | 80th | 60th |
| Pennsylvania | 96th | 91st | 90th | 84th |
| Ridge and Valley | 97th | 65th | 93rd | 96th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Jonestown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fredericksburg 3 mi · Sand Hill 5 mi · Cleona 5 mi · Pleasant Hill 6 mi · Annville 6 mi · Fort Indiantown Gap 6 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 Jonestown (40.413, -76.4807); 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.