community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Helmsburg, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 3% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (5th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Helmsburg?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Helmsburg, 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 Apr 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; 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 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early 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 Helmsburg
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi W.
How Helmsburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 83rd | 51st | 50th |
| Indiana | 3rd | 82nd | 5th | 89th |
| Interior Plateau | 20th | 23rd | 43rd | 96th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 Helmsburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nashville 5 mi · Morgantown 8 mi · Painted Hills 9 mi · Cordry Sweetwater Lakes 10 mi · Prince's Lakes 12 mi · Martinsville 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 Helmsburg (39.2678, -86.2963); 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.