city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Canton, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer and fall (58th percentile) and lowest in spring (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Canton?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Canton, 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 23.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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 514 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 373 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Canton
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi W.
How Canton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 75th | 84th | 51st |
| Missouri | 50th | 39th | 58th | 58th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 21st | 44th | 38th | 74th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Canton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
La Grange 6 mi · Monticello 10 mi · Ewing 13 mi · Lewistown 15 mi · Williamstown 16 mi · Alexandria 16 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 Canton (40.1299, -91.527); 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.