community in Tennessee

Honey bee forage in Bloomingdale, Tennessee

Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.7 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Bloomingdale?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bloomingdale, 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 Apr 7.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Bloomingdale

Mostly: Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.78 mi SE.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 59% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.

How Bloomingdale ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US82nd97th59th42nd
Tennessee80th98th69th79th
Ridge and Valley97th99th74th46th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 49% 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 Bloomingdale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Orebank 3 mi · Kingsport 5 mi · Colonial Heights 6 mi · Sullivan Gardens 8 mi · Mount Carmel 9 mi · Spurgeon 10 mi

All towns in Tennessee · 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 Bloomingdale (36.5823, -82.5068); 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.