city in Vermont
Honey bee forage in Burlington, Vermont
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Vermont. Against other Vermont sites it stands out most in fall (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.9 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Burlington?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Burlington, 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 May 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Corn: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Burlington
Mostly: Open water; Developed, medium intensity; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Burlington ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 19th | 43rd | 38th | 51st |
| Vermont | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 82nd |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | below the 1st | 8th | 1st | 22nd |
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 Burlington: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Winooski 3 mi · South Burlington 5 mi · Essex Junction 6 mi · Shelburne 7 mi · St. George 9 mi · Milton 11 mi
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 Burlington (44.4919, -73.2389); 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.