city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Gideon, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in spring (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here); cotton (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gideon?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, cotton)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gideon, 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 3.
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): cotton, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): cotton, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, cotton, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 11,277 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 5,410 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,610 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, 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 Gideon
Mostly: Cotton; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.23 mi W; open water 0.3 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 Gideon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 66th | 96th | 59th |
| Missouri | 98th | 26th | 92nd | 80th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 82nd | 23rd | 94th | 91st |
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 Gideon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clarkton 3 mi · Tallapoosa 7 mi · Holcomb 7 mi · Wardell 8 mi · Risco 9 mi · Homestown 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 Gideon (36.4444, -89.906); 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.