city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Waterville, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Waterville?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Waterville, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, alfalfa; 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 617 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 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 Waterville
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE.
How Waterville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 63rd | 81st | 65th |
| Iowa | 4th | 85th | 6th | 96th |
| Driftless Area | 44th | 83rd | 35th | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Waterville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Harpers Ferry 7 mi · Waukon 10 mi · Lansing 11 mi · Monona 12 mi · Marquette 13 mi · Luana 13 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 Waterville (43.2077, -91.2966); 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.