town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Alberta, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 57% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (64th percentile) and lowest in fall (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alberta?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alberta, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Soybeans: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms late May – late 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 Alberta
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.39 mi SE; open water 0.45 mi W.
How Alberta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 80th | 50th | 10th |
| Virginia | 57th | 57th | 64th | 14th |
| Piedmont | 58th | 46th | 82nd | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Alberta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Warfield 5 mi · Lawrenceville 7 mi · Brodnax 13 mi · McKenney 13 mi · Kenbridge 15 mi · La Crosse 15 mi
All towns in Virginia · 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 Alberta (36.854, -77.894); 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.