city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Alba, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alba?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alba, 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 Apr 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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, dandelion, soybeans, 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 109 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 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 Alba
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.29 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.37 mi NE.
How Alba ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 97th | 74th | 27th |
| Missouri | 65th | 98th | 48th | 21st |
| Ozark Highlands | 97th | 94th | 95th | 6th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Alba: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Purcell 1 mi · Neck City 2 mi · Oronogo 4 mi · Carytown 5 mi · Brooklyn Heights 5 mi · Carterville 6 mi
All towns in Missouri · 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 Alba (37.2372, -94.4176); 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.