city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Le Claire, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 11% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Le Claire?
- 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
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Le Claire, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 6,058 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 257 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late 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 Le Claire
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Open water; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.53 mi SE.
How Le Claire ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 48th | 88th | 50th |
| Iowa | 11th | 72nd | 18th | 75th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 5th | 82nd | 10th | 68th |
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 Le Claire: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Argo 4 mi · Panorama Park 5 mi · Princeton 5 mi · Bettendorf 6 mi · Riverdale 6 mi · McCausland 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 Le Claire (41.5956, -90.377); 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.