borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Tower City, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (79th percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tower City?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tower City, 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 5.
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, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; 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 194 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 53 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi E, blooms late 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 Tower City
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Tower City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 72nd | 59th | 55th |
| Pennsylvania | 59th | 79th | 52nd | 67th |
| Ridge and Valley | 48th | 39th | 73rd | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Tower City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Reinerton 1 mi · Orwin 1 mi · Muir 2 mi · Williamstown 3 mi · Valley View 4 mi · Hegins 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 Tower City (40.5884, -76.5531); 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.