city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Middletown, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Middletown?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Middletown, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 647 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,398 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Middletown
Mostly: Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.19 mi NW; open water 0.31 mi W.
How Middletown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 70th | 88th | 54th |
| Iowa | 29th | 91st | 18th | 79th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 20th | 95th | 10th | 72nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Middletown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Beaverdale 3 mi · Danville 4 mi · West Burlington 5 mi · Augusta 5 mi · Burlington 7 mi · Denmark 8 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 Middletown (40.8279, -91.2622); 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.