community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Sun Valley Lake, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 12% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sun Valley Lake?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sun Valley Lake, 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, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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 612 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 206 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 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 Sun Valley Lake
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.05 mi NW; open water 0.05 mi NW.
How Sun Valley Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 69th | 85th | 59th |
| Iowa | 12th | 90th | 11th | 88th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 22nd | 34th | 44th | 89th |
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 Sun Valley Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ellston 2 mi · Beaconsfield 3 mi · Grand River 6 mi · Tingley 7 mi · Kellerton 10 mi · Arispe 10 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 Sun Valley Lake (40.8492, -94.0675); 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.