city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Buffalo, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Buffalo?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Buffalo, 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 Apr 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 92 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 127 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 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 Buffalo
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Open water; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.2 mi S.
How Buffalo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 61st | 77th | 51st |
| Iowa | 1st | 82nd | 3rd | 75th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 1st | 90th | 2nd | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Buffalo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Montpelier 2 mi · Blue Grass 3 mi · Fairport 8 mi · Walcott 9 mi · Stockton 10 mi · Davenport 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 Buffalo (41.4613, -90.7689); 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.