borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Pennsylvania. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Pennsylvania sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Slippery Rock?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Slippery Rock, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, 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, alfalfa, soybeans; 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
- Soybeans: about 92 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 199 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late Jun – 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 Slippery Rock
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.58 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 51% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Slippery Rock ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 76th | 75th | 62nd |
| Pennsylvania | 84th | 85th | 82nd | 89th |
| Erie Drift Plain | 48th | 74th | 47th | 83rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Slippery Rock: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Slippery Rock University 1 mi · Forestville 4 mi · West Liberty 4 mi · Harrisville 5 mi · Grove City 6 mi · Harlansburg 7 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 Slippery Rock (41.0695, -80.0579); 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.