town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Parksley, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Parksley?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Parksley, 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, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 770 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, 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 Parksley
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Salt Marsh; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi N.
How Parksley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 86th | 87th | 16th |
| Virginia | 100th | 77th | 99th | 28th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 95th | 65th | 90th | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Parksley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Whitesville 1 mi · Lee Mont 2 mi · Chase Crossing 2 mi · Metompkin 3 mi · Pastoria 3 mi · Bloxom 3 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 Parksley (37.7863, -75.6539); 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.