town in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Ariton, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in spring (58th percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ariton?
- First forage: Jan 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ariton, 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 Feb 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Cotton: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NW, blooms early May – late May (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 Ariton
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; open water 0.43 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Ariton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 79th | 18th | 2nd |
| Alabama | 60th | 58th | 51st | 17th |
| Southeastern Plains | 49th | 59th | 37th | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Ariton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clio 10 mi · Brundidge 10 mi · Ozark 11 mi · Blue Springs 13 mi · Louisville 16 mi · Banks 17 mi
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 Ariton (31.5978, -85.7131); 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.