borough in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Vanderbilt?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Vanderbilt, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 69 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 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 Vanderbilt
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi SW.
How Vanderbilt ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 90th | 63rd | 49th |
| Pennsylvania | 84th | 96th | 60th | 40th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 79th | 58th | 78th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Vanderbilt: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dawson 1 mi · Connellsville 4 mi · Dunbar 5 mi · South Connellsville 5 mi · Everson 6 mi · Star Junction 6 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 Vanderbilt (40.034, -79.6628); 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.