community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Orviston, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 27% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (62nd percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orviston?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orviston, 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 8.
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): summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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
- Corn: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – 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 Orviston
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi W.
How Orviston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 36th | 65th | 38th | 52nd |
| Pennsylvania | 27th | 62nd | 16th | 57th |
| Central Appalachians | 8th | 14th | 71st | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Orviston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Monument 3 mi · Yarnell 8 mi · Blanchard 8 mi · Howard 8 mi · Mount Eagle 9 mi · Beech Creek 9 mi
All towns in Pennsylvania · 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 Orviston (41.1073, -77.7534); 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.