town in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bruceton Mills?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bruceton Mills, 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 May 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 162 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 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 Bruceton Mills
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SE.
How Bruceton Mills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 83rd | 60th | 54th |
| West Virginia | 86th | 36th | 97th | 95th |
| Central Appalachians | 94th | 40th | 95th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Bruceton Mills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brandonville 1 mi · Cheat Lake 11 mi · Masontown 11 mi · Albright 11 mi · Kingwood 13 mi · Reedsville 13 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 Bruceton Mills (39.6594, -79.6406); 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.