city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Columbus Junction, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in summer (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Columbus Junction?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 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 Columbus Junction, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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); 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
- Corn: about 2,346 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 2,131 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi NE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 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 Columbus Junction
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi SW.
How Columbus Junction ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 77th | 81st | 58th |
| Iowa | 10th | 95th | 6th | 87th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 5th | 98th | 3rd | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Columbus Junction: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fredonia 1 mi · Columbus City 1 mi · Cotter 5 mi · Conesville 7 mi · Letts 8 mi · Grandview 9 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 Columbus Junction (41.2789, -91.3639); 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.