community in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Swartz, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Swartz?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Swartz, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, soybeans; 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 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (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 Swartz
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 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 Swartz ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 93rd | 32nd | 30th |
| Louisiana | 75th | 81st | 84th | 55th |
| South Central Plains | 83rd | 84th | 90th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Swartz: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lakeshore 4 mi · Monroe 7 mi · Sterlington 9 mi · Start 9 mi · Collinston 10 mi · Richwood 11 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 Swartz (32.5809, -91.9869); 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.