city in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Swifton, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Swifton?
- 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 late May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Swifton, 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, 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), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- 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 4,962 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 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 Swifton
Mostly: Rice; Soybeans; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.55 mi E.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 39% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Swifton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 88th | 88th | 6th |
| Arkansas | 87th | 58th | 88th | 13th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 59th | 46th | 68th | 33rd |
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 Swifton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alicia 5 mi · Tuckerman 8 mi · Egypt 11 mi · Cash 11 mi · Minturn 12 mi · Grubbs 12 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 Swifton (35.8244, -91.1294); 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.