city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in East Prairie, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); popcorn and ornamental corn (nearest 1.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in East Prairie?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Prairie, 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): 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, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, cotton; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, cotton; 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 8,253 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,219 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms early Jun – early 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 East Prairie
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Dbl Crop WinWht/Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.37 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 54% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How East Prairie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 92nd | 94th | 25th |
| Missouri | 99th | 83rd | 88th | 19th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 88th | 53rd | 91st | 68th |
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 East Prairie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Whiting 1 mi · Anniston 4 mi · Pinhook 7 mi · Bertrand 10 mi · Charleston 10 mi · Matthews 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 East Prairie (36.7789, -89.3841); 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.