community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in West Hills, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in fall (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in West Hills?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of West Hills, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; 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 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 West Hills
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.34 mi W.
How West Hills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 74th | 60th | 51st |
| Pennsylvania | 63rd | 83rd | 56th | 53rd |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 28th | 12th | 74th | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 West Hills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kittanning 2 mi · West Kittanning 2 mi · Applewold 3 mi · Manorville 4 mi · Worthington 5 mi · Ford City 5 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 West Hills (40.8429, -79.5441); 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.