city in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Alabama. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Alabama sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Muscle Shoals?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Muscle Shoals, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 102 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi N, blooms early May – early Jul (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 Muscle Shoals
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian Forest; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.48 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 1.03 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 76% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- 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 Muscle Shoals ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 97th | 68th | 39th |
| Alabama | 99th | 99th | 97th | 93rd |
| Interior Plateau | 93rd | 97th | 68th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Muscle Shoals: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sheffield 4 mi · Tuscumbia 4 mi · Florence 6 mi · Leighton 7 mi · St. Florian 9 mi · Underwood-Petersville 10 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 Muscle Shoals (34.7427, -87.6338); 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.