community in Rhode Island
Honey bee forage in Hopkinton, Rhode Island
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Rhode Island. Against other Rhode Island sites it stands out most in spring (57th percentile) and lowest in fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.9 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hopkinton?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, 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 Hopkinton, 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 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 Hopkinton
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak-Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% 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 Hopkinton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 38th | 66th | 41st | 42nd |
| Rhode Island | 45th | 57th | 39th | 35th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 31st | 50th | 17th | 20th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Hopkinton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ashaway 3 mi · Hope Valley 5 mi · Bradford 5 mi · Wyoming 6 mi · Carolina 7 mi · Westerly 7 mi
All towns in Rhode Island · 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 Hopkinton (41.4669, -71.7811); 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.