city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Sabula, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 0% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (below the 1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sabula?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sabula, 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 4.
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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 3,358 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 223 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Sabula
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Sabula ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 35th | 43rd | 64th | 39th |
| Iowa | below the 1st | 67th | below the 1st | 59th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | below the 1st | 77th | below the 1st | 54th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Sabula: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Miles 7 mi · Andover 7 mi · Preston 11 mi · Goose Lake 12 mi · Spragueville 13 mi · Clinton 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 Sabula (42.0702, -90.1825); 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.