city in Missouri

Honey bee forage in Hamilton, Missouri

Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in fall (72nd percentile) and lowest in spring (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Hamilton?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hamilton, 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 25.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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 130 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 226 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late Jun – late 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 Hamilton

Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.42 mi SW.

How Hamilton ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US91st82nd89th56th
Missouri81st61st70th72nd
Central Irregular Plains77th62nd63rd85th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 38% 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 Hamilton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Kidder 6 mi · Kingston 7 mi · Breckenridge 11 mi · Altamont 11 mi · Winston 11 mi · Gallatin 12 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 Hamilton (39.7435, -94.0024); 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.