town in West Virginia

Honey bee forage in Ansted, West Virginia

Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (66th). Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river, 0.15 mi N.

When is the honey flow in Ansted?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ansted, 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 18.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around Ansted

Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.15 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi SW.

How Ansted ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US68th94th38th50th
West Virginia88th85th66th87th
Central Appalachians95th96th70th82nd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 78% 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 Ansted: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Fayetteville 5 mi · Hico 5 mi · Gauley Bridge 6 mi · Glen Ferris 7 mi · Garten 7 mi · Charlton Heights 7 mi

All towns in West 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 Ansted (38.1354, -81.1035); 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.