community in Virginia

Honey bee forage in Breaks, Virginia

Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (14th). Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river, 0.11 mi E.

When is the honey flow in Breaks?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, peaking early Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Breaks, 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 13.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
  • Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around Breaks

Mostly: Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.11 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi SW.

How Breaks ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US59th90th28th44th
Virginia61st91st14th73rd
Central Appalachians79th75th47th48th

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

About 88% 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 Breaks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Haysi 6 mi · Big Rock 6 mi · Grundy 10 mi · Clinchco 11 mi · Vansant 11 mi · Clintwood 14 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 Breaks (37.3007, -82.2792); 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.