town in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Iota, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in summer (74th percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Iota?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Iota, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion; 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 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms early Apr – early Jun (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 Iota
Mostly: Aquaculture; Rice; West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi W.
How Iota ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 82nd | 21st | 13th |
| Louisiana | 69th | 68th | 74th | 24th |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 49th | 58th | 53rd | 36th |
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 Iota: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Egan 6 mi · Midland 10 mi · Estherwood 10 mi · Crowley 10 mi · Mermentau 11 mi · Jennings 12 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 Iota (30.3261, -92.4956); 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.