town in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Bamberg, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.7 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.6 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bamberg?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bamberg, 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 Mar 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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
- Cotton: about 108 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – 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 Bamberg
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 67% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025); Watermelons: insecticides used on about 38% 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 Bamberg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 93rd | 34th | 30th |
| South Carolina | 86th | 83rd | 69th | 78th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 68th | 88th | 37th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Bamberg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cope 6 mi · Denmark 6 mi · Govan 10 mi · Cordova 11 mi · Norway 12 mi · Olar 12 mi
All towns in South Carolina · 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 Bamberg (33.3001, -81.0312); 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.