city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Gray, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gray?
- First forage: May 1 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gray, 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 6.
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, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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
- Soybeans: about 10,801 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 13,493 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , 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 Gray
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi SE.
How Gray ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 11th | 98th | 9th |
| Iowa | 83rd | 28th | 84th | 11th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 79th | 33rd | 83rd | 9th |
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 Gray: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Templeton 6 mi · Manning 6 mi · Aspinwall 9 mi · Audubon 9 mi · Dedham 10 mi · Halbur 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 Gray (41.8417, -94.9859); 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.