town in Alabama

Honey bee forage in Douglas, Alabama

Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Douglas?

  • First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion)
  • Main flow: Feb 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Douglas, 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 20.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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

  • Soybeans: about 90 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SE, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 2 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 Douglas

Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Southern Appalachian Low-Elevation Pine Forest.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi W; open water 0.23 mi S.

How Douglas ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US80th96th52nd12th
Alabama93rd97th93rd53rd
Southwestern Appalachians98th98th92nd2nd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 66% 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 Douglas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Snead 5 mi · New Union 6 mi · Bristow Cove 6 mi · Walnut Grove 7 mi · Susan Moore 8 mi · Altoona 9 mi

All towns in Alabama · 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 Douglas (34.1683, -86.3234); 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.