community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Forest, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 3.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Forest?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Forest, 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, dandelion, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra 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
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi SW, blooms late May – late 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 Forest
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi N.
How Forest ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 91st | 57th | 31st |
| Virginia | 83rd | 92nd | 72nd | 47th |
| Piedmont | 80th | 79th | 88th | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Forest: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Timberlake 4 mi · Lynchburg 5 mi · Madison Heights 11 mi · Big Island 12 mi · Rustburg 12 mi · Bedford 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 Forest (37.3749, -79.2771); 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.