community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Mooar, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (below the 1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mooar?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mooar, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion; 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 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, 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 Mooar
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi S.
How Mooar ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 73rd | 63rd | 56th |
| Iowa | 1st | 93rd | below the 1st | 83rd |
| Central Irregular Plains | 1st | 42nd | 8th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 Mooar: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Keokuk 3 mi · Sandusky 3 mi · Montrose 7 mi · Argyle 10 mi · Fort Madison 14 mi · Donnellson 16 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 Mooar (40.4319, -91.4446); 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.