community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Riceville, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it ranks highest in summer (49th percentile) and lowest in spring and fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Riceville?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Riceville, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, clover/Wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, soybeans; 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 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 78 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms early May – early Oct (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 Riceville
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.2 mi NE.
How Riceville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 59th | 58th | 47th |
| Pennsylvania | 36th | 35th | 49th | 35th |
| Erie Drift Plain | 10th | 33rd | 10th | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 80% 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 Riceville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lincolnville 2 mi · Canadohta Lake 3 mi · Centerville 4 mi · Rockdale Acres 6 mi · Spartansburg 7 mi · Townville 8 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 Riceville (41.7793, -79.8046); 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.