city in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Rainsville, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in summer (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (79th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rainsville?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, cotton)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rainsville, 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 28.
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, soybeans, dandelion, cotton; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, cotton; 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 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 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 Rainsville
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi NE.
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 Rainsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 94th | 63rd | 25th |
| Alabama | 92nd | 91st | 96th | 79th |
| Southwestern Appalachians | 96th | 88th | 98th | 26th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Rainsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shiloh 3 mi · Powell 4 mi · Pine Ridge 4 mi · Sylvania 5 mi · Fyffe 5 mi · Fort Payne 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 Rainsville (34.4944, -85.8365); 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.