town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Brookneal, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it ranks highest in fall (48th percentile) and lowest in spring and summer (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.8 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Brookneal?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Brookneal, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 5 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 Brookneal
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.15 mi SE.
How Brookneal ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 74th | 34th | 31st |
| Virginia | 19th | 30th | 30th | 48th |
| Piedmont | 28th | 24th | 56th | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 Brookneal: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nathalie 7 mi · Phenix 12 mi · Charlotte Court House 17 mi · Rustburg 17 mi · Altavista 19 mi · Clover 19 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 Brookneal (37.0479, -78.9539); 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.