town in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Melville, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Melville?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Feb (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Melville, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 623 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 94 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 2 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 Melville
Mostly: Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; Mississippi River High Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi S.
How Melville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 96th | 29th | 28th |
| Louisiana | 89th | 87th | 82nd | 54th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 41st | 68th | 26th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Melville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Palmetto 10 mi · Morganza 10 mi · Fordoche 10 mi · Krotz Springs 11 mi · Lebeau 13 mi · Livonia 15 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 Melville (30.692, -91.7505); 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.