community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Mount Sterling, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 7% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in summer (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mount Sterling?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (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 Mount Sterling, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 117 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 61 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 Mount Sterling
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SE.
How Mount Sterling ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 77th | 79th | 58th |
| Iowa | 7th | 95th | 4th | 86th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 11th | 48th | 26th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 71% 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 Mount Sterling: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cantril 7 mi · Keosauqua 8 mi · Bonaparte 9 mi · Farmington 10 mi · Milton 12 mi · Leando 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 Mount Sterling (40.6185, -91.9354); 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.