community in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Payne Gap, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in spring (77th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.14 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Payne Gap?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Payne Gap, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Payne Gap
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Southern Appalachian Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.65 mi NW.
How Payne Gap ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 92nd | 26th | 41st |
| Kentucky | 29th | 77th | 19th | 70th |
| Central Appalachians | 80th | 87th | 38th | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 90% 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 Payne Gap: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jenkins 2 mi · Fleming-Neon 4 mi · Millstone 4 mi · McRoberts 5 mi · Mayking 6 mi · Whitesburg 9 mi
All towns in Kentucky · 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 Payne Gap (37.1477, -82.6711); 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.