city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Bernard, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 6% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (59th percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Bernard?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bernard, 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, soybeans, 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, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): 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
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 8,151 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 121 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Bernard
Mostly: Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi W; open water 0.31 mi SW.
How Bernard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 31st | 89th | 39th |
| Iowa | 6th | 55th | 20th | 59th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 3rd | 64th | 11th | 54th |
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 Bernard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Zwingle 7 mi · Cascade 9 mi · Peosta 9 mi · Epworth 11 mi · La Motte 11 mi · Centralia 11 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 Bernard (42.3132, -90.8317); 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.