city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Sioux Rapids, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sioux Rapids?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sioux Rapids, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Soybeans: about 2,626 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,196 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, 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 Sioux Rapids
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi NW.
How Sioux Rapids ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 69th | 90th | 63rd |
| Iowa | 42nd | 91st | 22nd | 94th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 33rd | 95th | 13th | 86th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Sioux Rapids: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rembrandt 5 mi · Linn Grove 5 mi · Webb 8 mi · Greenville 9 mi · Marathon 9 mi · Rossie 9 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 Sioux Rapids (42.8917, -95.1485); 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.