city in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Chesapeake, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chesapeake?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chesapeake, 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 Mar 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 708 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 132 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 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 Chesapeake
Mostly: Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Soybeans; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.31 mi SE.
How Chesapeake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 89th | 83rd | 7th |
| Virginia | 99th | 89th | 98th | 8th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 90th | 76th | 83rd | 13th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 49% 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 Chesapeake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Portsmouth 13 mi · Virginia Beach 17 mi · Norfolk 17 mi · Suffolk 18 mi · Carrollton 22 mi · Benns Church 24 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 Chesapeake (36.6794, -76.3018); 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.