town in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Flatwoods, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 2.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Flatwoods?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- 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 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Flatwoods, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light 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
- Sorghum: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late 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 Flatwoods
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 0.11 mi S; open water 0.23 mi W.
How Flatwoods ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 95th | 43rd | 42nd |
| West Virginia | 94th | 94th | 82nd | 47th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 73rd | 93rd | 43rd | 34th |
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 Flatwoods: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sutton 5 mi · Gassaway 7 mi · Burnsville 10 mi · Sand Fork 15 mi · Birch River 16 mi · Glenville 18 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 Flatwoods (38.717, -80.6525); 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.