town in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Hillsboro, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hillsboro?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hillsboro, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; 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
- Alfalfa: about 116 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 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 Hillsboro
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.53 mi SW.
How Hillsboro ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 68th | 71st | 56th |
| West Virginia | 79th | 9th | 99th | 98th |
| Central Appalachians | 92nd | 19th | 99th | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Hillsboro: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Marlinton 9 mi · Huntersville 11 mi · Falling Spring 13 mi · Richwood 19 mi · Fenwick 21 mi · Cass 24 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 Hillsboro (38.1384, -80.2107); 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.