city in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in fall (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 1.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bayou La Batre?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bayou La Batre, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi N, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NW, blooms late Apr – 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 Bayou La Batre
Mostly: East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Wet Flatwoods; Open water; East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi E.
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 Bayou La Batre ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 66th | 17th | 54th |
| Alabama | 53rd | 23rd | 47th | 100th |
| Southern Coastal Plain | 37th | 47th | 77th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Bayou La Batre: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grand Bay 7 mi · Theodore 10 mi · Belle Fontaine 11 mi · Dauphin Island 12 mi · Tillmans Corner 12 mi · Mobile 20 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 Bayou La Batre (30.4076, -88.2633); 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.