town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Rocky Mount, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.5 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rocky Mount?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rocky Mount, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi E, 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 Rocky Mount
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 72% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Rocky Mount ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 89th | 52nd | 29th |
| Virginia | 78th | 87th | 67th | 46th |
| Piedmont | 74th | 73rd | 85th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Rocky Mount: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Henry Fork 3 mi · Ferrum 8 mi · Boones Mill 9 mi · Union Hall 11 mi · Westlake Corner 13 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 Rocky Mount (37.0044, -79.8848); 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.