city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Milford, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 8% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Milford?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Milford, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 70 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 65 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Milford
Mostly: Open water; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.24 mi E.
How Milford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 56th | 86th | 73rd |
| Iowa | 8th | 78th | 12th | 99th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 4th | 87th | 6th | 95th |
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 Milford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
West Okoboji 1 mi · Arnolds Park 2 mi · Wahpeton 2 mi · Okoboji 3 mi · Spirit Lake 5 mi · Fostoria 7 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 Milford (43.3417, -95.1457); 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.