community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Union Hall, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it ranks highest in summer (32nd percentile) and lowest in fall (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Union Hall?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Union Hall, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 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 Union Hall
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.25 mi NW.
How Union Hall ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 73rd | 35th | 14th |
| Virginia | 14th | 25th | 32nd | 21st |
| Piedmont | 22nd | 19th | 57th | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Union Hall: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Penhook 3 mi · North Shore 5 mi · Westlake Corner 7 mi · Henry Fork 11 mi · Rocky Mount 11 mi · Moneta 12 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 Union Hall (37.0221, -79.6808); 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.