city in Iowa

Honey bee forage in Galt, Iowa

Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in summer (75th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Galt?

  • First forage: May 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Galt, 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 10.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 11,570 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 2,744 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms late 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 Galt

Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.75 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.85 mi SE.

How Galt ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US94th19th97th17th
Iowa77th40th75th30th
Western Corn Belt Plains72nd48th71st27th

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

Nearby

Rowan 4 mi · Dows 6 mi · Clarion 7 mi · Alexander 10 mi · Belmond 11 mi · Popejoy 11 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 Galt (42.6935, -93.6046); 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.