town in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Lane, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (65th percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi NW); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lane?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 31, peaking early Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, cotton)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lane, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 94 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, 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 Lane
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi E.
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 Lane ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 87th | 28th | 15th |
| South Carolina | 63rd | 65th | 58th | 52nd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 41st | 69th | 32nd | 39th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Lane: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greeleyville 7 mi · St. Stephen 9 mi · Russellville 10 mi · Kingstree 10 mi · Foreston 13 mi · Bonneau 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 Lane (33.5251, -79.8797); 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.