city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Holts Summit, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 32% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Holts Summit?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Holts Summit, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 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 Holts Summit
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 57% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Holts Summit ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 92nd | 59th | 58th |
| Missouri | 32nd | 82nd | 32nd | 80th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 11th | 95th | 7th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Holts Summit: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
New Bloomfield 5 mi · Jefferson City 6 mi · Tebbetts 9 mi · Taos 10 mi · Hartsburg 11 mi · Wardsville 11 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 Holts Summit (38.6473, -92.113); 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.