town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Chilhowie, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (80th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chilhowie?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chilhowie, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 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 Chilhowie
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.27 mi S.
How Chilhowie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 90th | 62nd | 51st |
| Virginia | 88th | 91st | 80th | 93rd |
| Ridge and Valley | 84th | 84th | 78th | 74th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Chilhowie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Seven Mile Ford 3 mi · Adwolf 5 mi · Glade Spring 5 mi · McMullin 6 mi · Saltville 7 mi · Emory 8 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 Chilhowie (36.8002, -81.6829); 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.