town in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Black Oak, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in fall (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (below the 1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Black Oak?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (cotton)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Black Oak, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): cotton; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): cotton, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 10,674 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 169 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Black Oak
Mostly: Cotton; Mississippi River Bottomland Depression; Peanuts.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi W; open water 0.84 mi SE.
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 Black Oak ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 39th | 90th | 72nd |
| Arkansas | 80th | below the 1st | 93rd | 100th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 40th | 4th | 77th | 97th |
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 Black Oak: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Monette 4 mi · Lake City 5 mi · Caraway 6 mi · Bowman 7 mi · Leachville 8 mi · Rivervale 11 mi
All towns in Arkansas · National map · How the scoring works
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 Black Oak (35.8364, -90.3675); 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.