community in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Clifton, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (80th percentile) and lowest in spring (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.1 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clifton?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clifton, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Soybeans: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Clifton
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.17 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi W.
How Clifton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 87th | 42nd | 46th |
| West Virginia | 71st | 49th | 80th | 67th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 37th | 42nd | 42nd | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Clifton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mason 1 mi · Hartford City 3 mi · New Haven 4 mi · Point Pleasant 12 mi · Henderson 13 mi · Cottageville 15 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 Clifton (39.0042, -82.0392); 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.