town in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Steele, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Alabama. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Alabama sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.9 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 2.9 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Steele?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Steele, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi W, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi NE, 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 Steele
Mostly: Southern Ridge and Valley / Cumberland Dry Calcareous Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi N.
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 Steele ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 92nd | 33rd | 27th |
| Alabama | 78th | 86th | 80th | 82nd |
| Ridge and Valley | 70th | 87th | 25th | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 78% 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 Steele: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gallant 5 mi · Attalla 5 mi · Rainbow City 6 mi · Ivalee 7 mi · Ashville 9 mi · Altoona 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 Steele (33.9414, -86.1921); 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.