city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Carlisle, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 24% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Carlisle?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Carlisle, 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): 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
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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 629 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 826 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 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 Carlisle
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.4 mi W.
How Carlisle ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 42nd | 91st | 45th |
| Iowa | 24th | 66th | 28th | 67th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 16th | 76th | 19th | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Carlisle: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pleasant Hill 6 mi · Hartford 6 mi · Runnells 6 mi · Des Moines 7 mi · Altoona 9 mi · Swan 10 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 Carlisle (41.518, -93.4852); 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.