city in Iowa

Honey bee forage in Dunlap, Iowa

Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Dunlap?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dunlap, 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 3.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 2,871 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 5,262 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, 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 Dunlap

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

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.35 mi NW.

How Dunlap ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US88th58th90th51st
Iowa31st80th24th76th
Western Corn Belt Plains22nd88th15th69th

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

Nearby

Dow City 8 mi · Arion 10 mi · Woodbine 10 mi · Earling 11 mi · Panama 11 mi · Buck Grove 12 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 Dunlap (41.8519, -95.6019); 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.