town in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Bulls Gap, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi W); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bulls Gap?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bulls Gap, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Soybeans: about 76 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Bulls Gap
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi E.
How Bulls Gap ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 96th | 60th | 20th |
| Tennessee | 73rd | 91st | 71st | 22nd |
| Ridge and Valley | 92nd | 97th | 75th | 10th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Bulls Gap: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Russellville 7 mi · Mosheim 8 mi · Mooresburg 11 mi · Rogersville 11 mi · Bean Station 13 mi · Morristown 13 mi
All towns in Tennessee · 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 Bulls Gap (36.2616, -83.0788); 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.