community in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Southern Shops, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in South Carolina. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other South Carolina sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: strawberries (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Southern Shops?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Southern Shops, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Strawberries: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms early Feb – early May (grown 1 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 Southern Shops
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.07 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 90% 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. Strawberries: insecticides used on about 96% 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 Southern Shops ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 93rd | 46th | 38th |
| South Carolina | 79th | 83rd | 86th | 86th |
| Piedmont | 87th | 87th | 78th | 96th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Southern Shops: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arcadia 1 mi · Hilltop 2 mi · Saxon 2 mi · Valley Falls 2 mi · Fairforest 3 mi · Whitney 4 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 Southern Shops (34.9821, -81.9909); 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.