village in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Delta, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); cotton (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Delta?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 15, peaking late May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Jul 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Delta, 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 Mar 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, cotton; 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
- Corn: about 2,096 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 314 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Apr – late Jun (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 Delta
Mostly: Open water; Mississippi River High Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.49 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.6 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). 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 Delta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 96th | 58th | 12th |
| Louisiana | 80th | 87th | 93rd | 22nd |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 28th | 69th | 36th | 48th |
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 Delta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mound 4 mi · Richmond 14 mi · Tallulah 15 mi · Newellton 24 mi · St. Joseph 32 mi · Delhi 32 mi
All towns in Louisiana · National map · How the scoring works
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 Delta (32.3222, -90.9585); 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.