city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Whiting, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (65th percentile) and lowest in fall (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Whiting?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Whiting, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Soybeans: about 8,178 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,620 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 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 Whiting
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi NW.
How Whiting ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 41st | 96th | 29th |
| Iowa | 87th | 65th | 64th | 48th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 84th | 75th | 60th | 43rd |
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 Whiting: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hornick 8 mi · Onawa 8 mi · Sloan 8 mi · Rodney 12 mi · Turin 12 mi · Castana 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 Whiting (42.1272, -96.1507); 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.