town in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Fortescue, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in spring (2nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fortescue?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fortescue, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 9,270 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 9,236 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 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 Fortescue
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi W.
How Fortescue ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 21st | 96th | 8th |
| Missouri | 83rd | 2nd | 92nd | 4th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 48th | 50th | 55th | 8th |
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 Fortescue: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Big Lake 2 mi · Bigelow 4 mi · Mound City 7 mi · Forest City 8 mi · Craig 10 mi · Oregon 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 Fortescue (40.0519, -95.3176); 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.