city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Lake Tapawingo, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 41% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 1.7 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Tapawingo?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Tapawingo, 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, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; 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, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Lake Tapawingo
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.02 mi N; open water 0.02 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 78% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). 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 Lake Tapawingo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 94th | 65th | 59th |
| Missouri | 41st | 86th | 39th | 81st |
| Central Irregular Plains | 11th | 84th | 9th | 89th |
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 Lake Tapawingo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Blue Springs 3 mi · Independence 5 mi · Grain Valley 5 mi · Unity Village 6 mi · Tarsney Lakes 8 mi · Lee's Summit 8 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 Lake Tapawingo (39.0224, -94.3139); 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.