town in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Oil Trough, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oil Trough?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oil Trough, 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 4,330 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 825 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Oil Trough
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.24 mi NE.
How Oil Trough ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 84th | 91st | 3rd |
| Arkansas | 92nd | 48th | 95th | 9th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 70th | 42nd | 80th | 22nd |
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 Oil Trough: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Magness 5 mi · Newark 6 mi · Jacksonport 9 mi · Salado 9 mi · Sulphur Rock 9 mi · Pleasant Plains 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 Oil Trough (35.6292, -91.4612); 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.