city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Ogden, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ogden?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ogden, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 14,940 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,242 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late 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 Ogden
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.57 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.63 mi W.
How Ogden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 61st | 93rd | 52nd |
| Iowa | 66th | 83rd | 36th | 78th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 60th | 91st | 27th | 70th |
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 Ogden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Beaver 6 mi · Fraser 7 mi · Berkley 8 mi · Boone 8 mi · Pilot Mound 8 mi · Boxholm 10 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 Ogden (42.0395, -94.0283); 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.