Honey bee forage in Moneta, Virginia

When is the honey flow in Moneta?

• First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
• Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
• Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
• Season ends: Sep 15

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Moneta, 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, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; 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; amber, likely to set over some months
• Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
• Soybeans: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Sorghum: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi N, 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 Moneta

Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.32 mi SE.

How Moneta ranks

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 71% 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.

Nearby

Westlake Corner 7 mi · North Shore 8 mi · Stewartsville 11 mi · Bedford 12 mi · Union Hall 12 mi · Penhook 14 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 Moneta (37.1882, -79.6134); 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.