city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Blue Springs, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi S); corn (nearest 2.6 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.9 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Blue Springs?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Blue Springs, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Blue Springs
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.38 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 98% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Blue Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 92nd | 70th | 62nd |
| Missouri | 45th | 83rd | 44th | 91st |
| Central Irregular Plains | 14th | 81st | 13th | 94th |
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 Blue Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake Tapawingo 3 mi · Grain Valley 3 mi · Tarsney Lakes 5 mi · Independence 7 mi · Oak Grove 7 mi · Lake Lotawana 7 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 Blue Springs (39.012, -94.2676); 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.