community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Saumsville, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (90th percentile) and lowest in spring (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Saumsville?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Saumsville, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Saumsville
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.21 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi S.
How Saumsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 84th | 72nd | 48th |
| Virginia | 89th | 68th | 90th | 86th |
| Ridge and Valley | 85th | 66th | 86th | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Saumsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Maurertown 2 mi · Alonzaville 3 mi · Toms Brook 3 mi · Mount Olive 4 mi · Woodstock 4 mi · Locust Grove 6 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 Saumsville (38.932, -78.5009); 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.