town in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Napier Field, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Napier Field?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31 (cotton)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Napier Field, 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 Feb 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, cotton, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, garden flowers; 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): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 395 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Napier Field
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Cotton.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi S; open water 0.33 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 55% 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 Napier Field ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 68th | 57th | 15th |
| Alabama | 79th | 28th | 94th | 59th |
| Southeastern Plains | 74th | 28th | 83rd | 62nd |
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 Napier Field: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grimes 1 mi · Midland City 2 mi · Pinckard 5 mi · Dothan 6 mi · Headland 6 mi · Kinsey 7 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 Napier Field (31.3149, -85.4549); 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.