borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Waterford, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Pennsylvania. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Pennsylvania sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Waterford?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Waterford, 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, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 198 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 373 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early 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 Waterford
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; North-Central Appalachian Acidic Swamp; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.12 mi W; open water 0.12 mi W.
How Waterford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 73rd | 75th | 60th |
| Pennsylvania | 81st | 81st | 82nd | 82nd |
| Erie Drift Plain | 44th | 69th | 46th | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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 Waterford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mill Village 5 mi · Union City 8 mi · Edinboro 9 mi · McKean 9 mi · Wattsburg 10 mi · Cambridge Springs 11 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 Waterford (41.9452, -79.9851); 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.