town in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Waterproof, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Waterproof?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 15, peaking early May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Waterproof, 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 1.
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, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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, cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
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 5,334 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 518 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 303 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Waterproof
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi NE.
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 Waterproof ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 98th | 63rd | 15th |
| Louisiana | 95th | 96th | 94th | 27th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 60th | 88th | 38th | 54th |
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 Waterproof: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spokane 8 mi · Clayton 11 mi · St. Joseph 12 mi · Ferriday 16 mi · Sicily Island 16 mi · Ridgecrest 17 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 Waterproof (31.8072, -91.3861); 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.