city in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Guntersville, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 7% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in fall (76th percentile) and lowest in spring (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.0 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.9 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Guntersville?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Guntersville, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 64 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi SE, blooms early May – early Jul (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 Guntersville
Mostly: Open water; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Southern Ridge and Valley / Cumberland Dry Calcareous Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.03 mi SW; open water 0.04 mi W.
How Guntersville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 59th | 12th | 23rd |
| Alabama | 7th | 8th | 28th | 76th |
| Southwestern Appalachians | 2nd | 1st | 12th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Guntersville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Albertville 8 mi · Grant 10 mi · Union Grove 12 mi · Boaz 13 mi · Geraldine 14 mi · Douglas 14 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 Guntersville (34.3679, -86.2523); 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.