city in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Ripley, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ripley?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ripley, 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 18.
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, 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), 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, 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi W, blooms late May – 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 Ripley
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; open water 0.04 mi W.
How Ripley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 89th | 48th | 50th |
| West Virginia | 84th | 58th | 91st | 85th |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 53rd | 50th | 53rd | 72nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Ripley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cottageville 7 mi · Ravenswood 10 mi · Leon 14 mi · Reedy 16 mi · New Haven 18 mi · Hartford City 19 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 Ripley (38.8216, -81.7093); 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.