community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Middle Amana, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Middle Amana?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Middle Amana, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra 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
- Corn: about 334 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 73 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Middle Amana
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi S; open water 0.13 mi S.
How Middle Amana ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 67th | 81st | 61st |
| Iowa | 4th | 89th | 6th | 91st |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 2nd | 94th | 3rd | 83rd |
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 Middle Amana: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Amana 1 mi · High Amana 2 mi · East Amana 3 mi · Homestead 3 mi · West Amana 3 mi · South Amana 3 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 Middle Amana (41.7948, -91.9015); 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.