community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Horntown, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Horntown?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Horntown, 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): soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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 330 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 124 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 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 Horntown
Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi W.
How Horntown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 62nd | 78th | 26th |
| Virginia | 80th | 3rd | 95th | 43rd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 46th | 12th | 78th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Horntown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Captains Cove 3 mi · Wattsville 3 mi · New Church 4 mi · Greenbackville 5 mi · Atlantic 5 mi · Oak Hall 5 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 Horntown (37.9661, -75.457); 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.