city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Carterville, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 3.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Carterville?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Carterville, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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 129 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 152 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi E, blooms early Jun – early 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 Carterville
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.04 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi SW.
How Carterville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 93rd | 58th | 36th |
| Missouri | 31st | 84th | 31st | 30th |
| Ozark Highlands | 64th | 66th | 72nd | 11th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Carterville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Webb City 2 mi · Brooklyn Heights 3 mi · Oronogo 3 mi · Airport Drive 4 mi · Duenweg 4 mi · Duquesne 5 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 Carterville (37.1466, -94.4388); 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.