town in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Harpersville, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Harpersville?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15 (cotton)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Harpersville, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), cotton; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 964 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 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 Harpersville
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 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 Harpersville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 88th | 57th | 17th |
| Alabama | 91st | 79th | 94th | 64th |
| Ridge and Valley | 91st | 79th | 71st | 7th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Harpersville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Vincent 5 mi · Childersburg 5 mi · Wilsonville 6 mi · Westover 7 mi · Bon Air 7 mi · Sterrett 9 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 Harpersville (33.3177, -86.4284); 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.