city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in North Buena Vista, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring and fall (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in North Buena Vista?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of North Buena Vista, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; 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 77 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 266 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 North Buena Vista
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi NW.
How North Buena Vista ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 64th | 78th | 57th |
| Iowa | 1st | 85th | 3rd | 85th |
| Driftless Area | 23rd | 85th | 22nd | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 North Buena Vista: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Holy Cross 5 mi · Balltown 5 mi · Luxemburg 7 mi · Rickardsville 8 mi · Sherrill 10 mi · Osterdock 11 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 North Buena Vista (42.6727, -90.9613); 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.