city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Asbury, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 9% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (10th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here).
When is the honey flow in Asbury?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Asbury, 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 May 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, alfalfa; 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 100 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Asbury
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.25 mi NE.
How Asbury ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 62nd | 85th | 70th |
| Iowa | 9th | 84th | 10th | 98th |
| Driftless Area | 64th | 77th | 50th | 76th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Asbury: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Durango 3 mi · Dubuque 4 mi · Centralia 4 mi · Sageville 5 mi · Graf 5 mi · Peosta 5 mi
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 Asbury (42.512, -90.7799); 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.