town in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi S); corn (nearest 2.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grand Coteau?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Grand Coteau, 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 Feb 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Soybeans: about 163 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 5 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 Grand Coteau
Mostly: Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Mississippi River High Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi NE.
How Grand Coteau ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 96th | 31st | 15th |
| Louisiana | 91st | 87th | 83rd | 27th |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 97th | 98th | 79th | 38th |
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 Grand Coteau: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sunset 1 mi · Leonville 5 mi · Cankton 7 mi · Arnaudville 7 mi · Carencro 7 mi · Opelousas 8 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 Grand Coteau (30.4202, -92.0438); 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.