community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Kingston, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 21% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kingston?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- 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 Kingston, 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): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; 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 2,930 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 6,828 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Jul (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 Kingston
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi NE.
How Kingston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 60th | 89th | 44th |
| Iowa | 21st | 82nd | 20th | 66th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 14th | 90th | 11th | 60th |
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 Kingston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sperry 6 mi · Mediapolis 6 mi · Oakville 8 mi · Beaverdale 12 mi · Burlington 13 mi · West Burlington 13 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 Kingston (40.9792, -91.0458); 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.