community in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Ashley, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (74th percentile) and lowest in spring and fall (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ashley?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ashley, 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 20.
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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, 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 1,774 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 219 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 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 Ashley
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.12 mi W; open water 0.12 mi NE.
How Ashley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 69th | 90th | 35th |
| Missouri | 75th | 29th | 74th | 29th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 68th | 34th | 71st | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Ashley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. Clement 2 mi · Bowling Green 6 mi · Tarrants 8 mi · Curryville 9 mi · Eolia 11 mi · Whiteside 12 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 Ashley (39.2533, -91.2235); 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.