community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Penfield, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 23% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it ranks highest in spring (39th percentile) and lowest in summer (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Penfield?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Penfield, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; 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, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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
- Alfalfa: about 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early 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 Penfield
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi SW.
How Penfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 32nd | 60th | 43rd | 45th |
| Pennsylvania | 23rd | 39th | 26th | 30th |
| North Central Appalachians | 80th | 86th | 73rd | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 89% 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 Penfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Force 5 mi · Weedville 6 mi · Byrnedale 6 mi · Treasure Lake 8 mi · Crenshaw 10 mi · Kersey 10 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 Penfield (41.2155, -78.5734); 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.