town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Jarratt, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring and summer (79th percentile) and lowest in fall (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Jarratt?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Jarratt, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, cotton, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, 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 Jarratt
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SE.
How Jarratt ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 87th | 61st | 10th |
| Virginia | 82nd | 79th | 79th | 15th |
| Southeastern Plains | 75th | 76th | 85th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Jarratt: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Emporia 9 mi · Stony Creek 10 mi · Sussex 13 mi · Capron 17 mi · McKenney 18 mi · Templeton 19 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 Jarratt (36.816, -77.4689); 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.