town in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Paw Paw, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in spring (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Paw Paw?
- 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, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Paw Paw, 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 22.
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): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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; 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi SW, 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 Paw Paw
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi S.
How Paw Paw ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 81st | 38th | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 35th | 28th | 68th | 92nd |
| Ridge and Valley | 43rd | 60th | 41st | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 80% 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 Paw Paw: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Green Spring 10 mi · Great Cacapon 11 mi · Bath (Berkeley Springs) 14 mi · Springfield 14 mi · Capon Bridge 16 mi · Fort Ashby 17 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 Paw Paw (39.5314, -78.4553); 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.