community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Lake Wilderness, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Wilderness?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Wilderness, 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, soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 187 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early 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 Lake Wilderness
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SE; open water 0.38 mi SW.
How Lake Wilderness ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 80th | 63rd | 12th |
| Virginia | 73rd | 55th | 81st | 19th |
| Piedmont | 70th | 45th | 94th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Lake Wilderness: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake of the Woods 3 mi · Spotsylvania Courthouse 10 mi · Stafford Lakes Village 10 mi · Rhoadesville 11 mi · England Run 13 mi · Fredericksburg 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 Lake Wilderness (38.3041, -77.7265); 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.