town in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Iva, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Iva?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Iva, 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 Mar 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cotton: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms early May – early Jul (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 Iva
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Iva ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 96th | 39th | 14th |
| South Carolina | 85th | 95th | 79th | 47th |
| Piedmont | 92nd | 95th | 67th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Iva: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake Secession 5 mi · Starr 5 mi · Antreville 6 mi · Lowndesville 7 mi · Homeland Park 11 mi · Anderson 15 mi
All towns in South Carolina · 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 Iva (34.3081, -82.6634); 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.