town in Delaware
Honey bee forage in Viola, Delaware
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Delaware. Against other Delaware sites it stands out most in summer (69th percentile) and lowest in fall (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Viola?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Viola, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 749 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 185 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early 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 Viola
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.1 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi W.
How Viola ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 71st | 89th | 37th |
| Delaware | 85th | 66th | 69th | 48th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 92nd | 26th | 92nd | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Viola: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Woodside 2 mi · Felton 2 mi · Woodside East 2 mi · Riverview 3 mi · Camden 4 mi · Wyoming 5 mi
All towns in Delaware · 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 Viola (39.0429, -75.5715); 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.