village in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Iatan, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (61st percentile) and lowest in spring (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Iatan?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Iatan, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1,596 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 982 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Iatan
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi E.
How Iatan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 69th | 85th | 45th |
| Missouri | 50th | 29th | 61st | 45th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 6th | 95th | 5th | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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 Iatan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lewis and Clark Village 5 mi · Weston 7 mi · Rushville 8 mi · De Kalb 8 mi · New Market 10 mi · Dearborn 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 Iatan (39.479, -94.9847); 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.