community in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Fairlea, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fairlea?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fairlea, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): 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
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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), garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 276 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Fairlea
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.32 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.49 mi NE.
How Fairlea ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 87th | 62nd | 55th |
| West Virginia | 93rd | 47th | 98th | 96th |
| Central Appalachians | 98th | 50th | 96th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Fairlea: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ronceverte 2 mi · Lewisburg 3 mi · White Sulphur Springs 9 mi · Alderson 10 mi · Union 14 mi · Falling Spring 16 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 Fairlea (37.7752, -80.4587); 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.