city in Iowa

Honey bee forage in Bennett, Iowa

Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N).

When is the honey flow in Bennett?

  • First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bennett, 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 4.

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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
  • 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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

  • Soybeans: about 9,191 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 14,946 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Alfalfa: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jun – late Aug (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 Bennett

Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi SE; open water 0.27 mi E.

How Bennett ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US96th31st98th17th
Iowa95th56th81st31st
Western Corn Belt Plains94th65th79th28th

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 Bennett: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

New Liberty 5 mi · Big Rock 8 mi · Tipton 8 mi · Lowden 9 mi · Wheatland 10 mi · Dixon 10 mi

All towns in Iowa · 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 Bennett (41.7398, -90.9736); 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.