community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Ferrum, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 9% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it ranks highest in summer (34th percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ferrum?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ferrum, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Ferrum
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.45 mi SE.
How Ferrum ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 36th | 68th | 36th | 6th |
| Virginia | 9th | 11th | 34th | 6th |
| Piedmont | 16th | 9th | 60th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 84% 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 Ferrum: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Henry Fork 7 mi · Rocky Mount 8 mi · Oak Level 10 mi · Bassett 12 mi · Boones Mill 12 mi · Stanleytown 13 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 Ferrum (36.9385, -79.995); 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.