community in Rhode Island
Honey bee forage in Kingston, Rhode Island
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Rhode Island. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Rhode Island sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.8 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Kingston?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kingston, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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), garden flowers; 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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 Kingston
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; North-Central Appalachian Acidic Swamp; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Peat Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.29 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 55% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Kingston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 82nd | 63rd | 67th |
| Rhode Island | 98th | 99th | 92nd | 91st |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 88th | 93rd | 74th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Kingston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wakefield-Peace Dale 2 mi · Narragansett Pier 4 mi · Carolina 7 mi · Charlestown 8 mi · Wyoming 9 mi · Hope Valley 11 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 Kingston (41.4732, -71.5241); 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.