town in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Tatum, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); cotton (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tatum?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (soybeans, cotton)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (cotton)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tatum, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, soybeans; 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): soybeans, cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 363 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 246 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Tatum
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi NE.
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 Tatum ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 83rd | 77th | 9th |
| South Carolina | 90th | 52nd | 99th | 30th |
| Southeastern Plains | 89th | 68th | 95th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Tatum: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McColl 3 mi · Clio 5 mi · Bennettsville 6 mi · Blenheim 10 mi · Wallace 15 mi · Little Rock 16 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 Tatum (34.6438, -79.5867); 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.