city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Swea City, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in summer (71st percentile) and lowest in fall (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Swea City?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Swea City, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 17,814 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 3,912 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, 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 Swea City
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.62 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.82 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 Swea City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 33rd | 97th | 30th |
| Iowa | 88th | 57th | 71st | 48th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 85th | 67th | 68th | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Swea City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bancroft 8 mi · Ledyard 8 mi · Armstrong 9 mi · Lakota 11 mi · Lone Rock 11 mi · Ringsted 12 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 Swea City (43.3835, -94.3103); 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.