town in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Smoaks, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it stands out most in summer (50th percentile) and lowest in spring (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); watermelons (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Smoaks?
- 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), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Smoaks, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 58 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early May – early 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 Smoaks
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi W.
Things to watch
- 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 Smoaks ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 78th | 25th | 13th |
| South Carolina | 51st | 37th | 50th | 46th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 29th | 41st | 27th | 30th |
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 Smoaks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Williams 4 mi · Lodge 8 mi · Branchville 11 mi · Ehrhardt 12 mi · Reevesville 12 mi · Grover 13 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 Smoaks (33.0895, -80.8142); 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.