city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Vanceburg, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Vanceburg?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Vanceburg, 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; 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 229 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 146 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Vanceburg
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Southern Appalachian Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi NW.
How Vanceburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 88th | 51st | 47th |
| Kentucky | 45th | 55th | 48th | 90th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 60th | 50th | 58th | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Vanceburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Garrison 8 mi · Concord 11 mi · South Shore 21 mi · Olive Hill 22 mi · Flemingsburg 25 mi · Maysville 26 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 Vanceburg (38.5945, -83.3236); 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.