community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Saylorville, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Saylorville?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Saylorville, 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 1.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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
- Soybeans: about 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 177 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early Jul – early 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 Saylorville
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Saylorville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 85th | 79th | 70th |
| Iowa | 14th | 99th | 4th | 98th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 7th | 99th | 2nd | 93rd |
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 Saylorville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ankeny 4 mi · Johnston 5 mi · Windsor Heights 7 mi · Des Moines 8 mi · Altoona 8 mi · Pleasant Hill 8 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 Saylorville (41.6808, -93.627); 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.