city in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Bradford, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bradford?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bradford, 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 27.
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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 4,682 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early May – late Jul (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 Bradford
Mostly: Fallow / idle cropland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SE.
How Bradford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 97th | 64th | 26th |
| Arkansas | 79th | 92nd | 75th | 52nd |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 39th | 75th | 39th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Bradford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Russell 5 mi · Bald Knob 10 mi · Augusta 11 mi · Weldon 13 mi · Tupelo 13 mi · Pleasant Plains 13 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 Bradford (35.422, -91.4552); 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.