community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Mountain Road, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 34% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (56th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mountain Road?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mountain Road, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), 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
- Soybeans: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 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 Mountain Road
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.59 mi E.
How Mountain Road ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 80th | 37th | 13th |
| Virginia | 34th | 56th | 37th | 19th |
| Piedmont | 41st | 45th | 62nd | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 85% 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 Mountain Road: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Halifax 3 mi · South Boston 5 mi · Riverdale 7 mi · Cluster Springs 11 mi · Scottsburg 11 mi · Nathalie 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 Mountain Road (36.7516, -78.9883); 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.