city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Crane, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 48% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.7 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.7 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Crane?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Crane, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SW, 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 Crane
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi S.
How Crane ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 97th | 63rd | 44th |
| Missouri | 48th | 96th | 37th | 42nd |
| Ozark Highlands | 86th | 89th | 82nd | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Crane: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hurley 4 mi · Marionville 8 mi · McCord Bend 9 mi · Galena 9 mi · Aurora 9 mi · Clever 11 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 Crane (36.9013, -93.5701); 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.