community in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Rarity Bay, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 11% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it ranks highest in summer (41st percentile) and lowest in spring (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 3.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rarity Bay?
- 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)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rarity Bay, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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, soybeans; 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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
- Soybeans: about 50 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 104 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, 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 Rarity Bay
Mostly: Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Ridge and Valley / Cumberland Dry Calcareous Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.11 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.12 mi NW.
How Rarity Bay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 73rd | 37th | 26th |
| Tennessee | 11th | 6th | 41st | 36th |
| Ridge and Valley | 28th | 44th | 37th | 17th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Rarity Bay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Vonore 3 mi · Tellico Village 4 mi · Kahite 5 mi · Greenback 5 mi · Philadelphia 9 mi · Loudon 9 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 Rarity Bay (35.6348, -84.2537); 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.