town in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Garland, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in summer (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Garland?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 30, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Garland, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, cotton, dandelion; 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 663 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 446 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 464 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Garland
Mostly: Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Red River Large Floodplain Forest; Rice.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.3 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 Garland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 89th | 60th | 9th |
| Arkansas | 63rd | 61st | 73rd | 18th |
| South Central Plains | 85th | 80th | 99th | 3rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Garland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lewisville 8 mi · Genoa 10 mi · Fouke 12 mi · Stamps 12 mi · Patmos 13 mi · Buckner 16 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 Garland (33.361, -93.7142); 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.