city in Tennessee

Honey bee forage in Pikeville, Tennessee

Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (75th percentile) and lowest in fall (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Pikeville?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pikeville, 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 4.

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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • 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, 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 66 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 70 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 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 Pikeville

Mostly: Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.29 mi NE.

How Pikeville ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US78th94th63rd32nd
Tennessee70th75th74th49th
Southwestern Appalachians94th88th98th41st

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 60% 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 Pikeville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Graysville 13 mi · Dayton 13 mi · Sale Creek 17 mi · Spencer 17 mi · Lake Tansi 19 mi · Spring City 19 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 Pikeville (35.6154, -85.1934); 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.