city in Iowa

Honey bee forage in Pomeroy, Iowa

Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Pomeroy?

  • First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pomeroy, 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): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 7,495 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 4,809 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 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 Pomeroy

Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.51 mi NE.

How Pomeroy ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US97th32nd98th28th
Iowa96th56th81st47th
Western Corn Belt Plains95th65th78th42nd

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 Pomeroy: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Jolley 5 mi · Twin Lakes 5 mi · Palmer 7 mi · Manson 7 mi · Fonda 9 mi · Rockwell City 11 mi

All towns in Iowa · National map · How the scoring works

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 Pomeroy (42.5519, -94.6779); 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.