town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Montross, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Montross?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Montross, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 124 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, 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 Montross
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi E.
How Montross ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 78th | 81st | 28th |
| Virginia | 95th | 49th | 97th | 45th |
| Southeastern Plains | 89th | 57th | 98th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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 Montross: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Warsaw 10 mi · Tappahannock 13 mi · Colonial Beach 15 mi · Dahlgren Center 20 mi · Port Royal 21 mi · Dahlgren 22 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 Montross (38.0924, -76.8159); 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.