community in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Delta, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it ranks highest in summer (48th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Delta?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Delta, 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 Mar 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Delta
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.17 mi SE.
How Delta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 39th | 74th | 17th | 4th |
| Alabama | 35th | 45th | 48th | 25th |
| Piedmont | 21st | 25th | 17th | 14th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 88% 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 Delta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hollis Crossroads 6 mi · Lineville 10 mi · Morrison Crossroads 11 mi · Wedowee 14 mi · Ashland 15 mi · Oxford 15 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 Delta (33.4405, -85.6759); 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.