city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Dexter, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.8 mi SE); corn (nearest 0.9 mi SE); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dexter?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dexter, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): cotton, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, cotton, soybeans; 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
- Cotton: about 3,745 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 323 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 596 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 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 Dexter
Mostly: Crowley's Ridge Mesic Loess Slope Forest; Cotton; Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.27 mi NW; open water 0.32 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 88% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- 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 Dexter ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 95th | 76th | 53rd |
| Missouri | 61st | 92nd | 49th | 63rd |
| Mississippi Valley Loess Plains | 71st | 87th | 70th | 99th |
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 Dexter: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Essex 6 mi · Bloomfield 7 mi · Dudley 7 mi · Penermon 7 mi · Bernie 8 mi · Grayridge 10 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 Dexter (36.7928, -89.963); 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.