city in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Paden City, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (89th percentile) and lowest in spring (60th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.2 mi NE); soybeans (nearest 1.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.6 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Paden City?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Paden City, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): 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
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Corn: about 42 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SW, blooms early Jun – late 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 Paden City
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi NW.
How Paden City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 89th | 47th | 48th |
| West Virginia | 82nd | 60th | 89th | 77th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 51st | 52nd | 51st | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Paden City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sistersville 5 mi · New Martinsville 5 mi · Middlebourne 8 mi · Friendly 9 mi · Reader 11 mi · Pine Grove 14 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 Paden City (39.603, -80.9354); 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.