city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Sherrill, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 3% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sherrill?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sherrill, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, soybeans, dandelion; 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 1,798 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Sherrill
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.1 mi E; open water 0.23 mi SW.
How Sherrill ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 52nd | 84th | 55th |
| Iowa | 3rd | 75th | 9th | 82nd |
| Driftless Area | 36th | 47th | 46th | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Sherrill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Durango 3 mi · Balltown 5 mi · Rickardsville 5 mi · Sageville 5 mi · Asbury 6 mi · Dubuque 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 Sherrill (42.6046, -90.7842); 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.