community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Sedley, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Sedley?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sedley, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): cotton, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), cotton; 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 108 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, 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 Sedley
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.21 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi NE.
How Sedley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 78th | 78th | 10th |
| Virginia | 92nd | 49th | 95th | 14th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 66th | 43rd | 78th | 22nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Sedley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Courtland 6 mi · Franklin 7 mi · Camptown 8 mi · Carrsville 10 mi · Ivor 10 mi · Capron 13 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 Sedley (36.7769, -76.9899); 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.