community in Louisiana
Honey bee forage in Welcome, Louisiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Louisiana. Against other Louisiana sites it stands out most in spring (72nd percentile) and lowest in fall (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Welcome?
- First forage: Jan 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Welcome, 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 18.
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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 99 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, 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 Welcome
Mostly: Open water; Mississippi River High Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; Sugarcane.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi W.
How Welcome ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 85th | 17th | 11th |
| Louisiana | 68th | 72nd | 63rd | 21st |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 17th | 42nd | 18th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Welcome: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. James 3 mi · Union 3 mi · Romeville 4 mi · Convent 4 mi · Lemannville 5 mi · Hester 7 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 Welcome (30.0443, -90.8835); 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.