community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Cats Bridge, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cats Bridge?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cats Bridge, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 96 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 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 Cats Bridge
Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Open Water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE.
How Cats Bridge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 73rd | 86th | 18th |
| Virginia | 98th | 26th | 99th | 32nd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 84th | 29th | 88th | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Cats Bridge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Savage Town 1 mi · Belle Haven 2 mi · Willis Wharf 2 mi · Quinby 3 mi · Painter 3 mi · Mappsburg 3 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 Cats Bridge (37.5477, -75.7833); 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.