community in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Bonneau Beach, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it ranks highest in fall (45th percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.2 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.7 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bonneau Beach?
- 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, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bonneau Beach, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi E, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 2 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 Bonneau Beach
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). 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 Bonneau Beach ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 73rd | 13th | 13th |
| South Carolina | 28th | 23rd | 13th | 45th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 13th | 30th | 12th | 29th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Bonneau Beach: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bonneau 2 mi · Russellville 5 mi · St. Stephen 7 mi · Pinopolis 7 mi · Moncks Corner 8 mi · Lane 15 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 Bonneau Beach (33.3221, -79.9886); 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.