town in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Catron, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Catron?
- First forage: Apr 1 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Catron, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cotton; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): cotton; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, cotton, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 17,161 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 373 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 144 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SW, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 4 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 Catron
Mostly: Soybeans; Cotton; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi E; open water 1.17 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Catron ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 60th | 97th | 45th |
| Missouri | 97th | 19th | 93rd | 45th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 82nd | 17th | 95th | 82nd |
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 Catron: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Lilbourn 5 mi · Lilbourn 5 mi · Parma 6 mi · Howardville 7 mi · Risco 7 mi · Marston 9 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 Catron (36.611, -89.706); 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.