borough in Pennsylvania

Honey bee forage in Thompsontown, Pennsylvania

Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Pennsylvania. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Pennsylvania sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Thompsontown?

  • 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, soybeans, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Thompsontown, 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 3.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 128 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 174 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 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 Thompsontown

Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi SE.

How Thompsontown ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US73rd74th76th57th
Pennsylvania83rd83rd83rd77th
Ridge and Valley82nd45th89th93rd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 56% 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 Thompsontown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

East Salem 3 mi · Millerstown 4 mi · McAlisterville 5 mi · Mexico 7 mi · Newport 8 mi · Port Royal 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 Thompsontown (40.5658, -77.2361); 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.