city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Matthews, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in fall (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); cotton (right here); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Matthews?
- First forage: Apr 1 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (cotton, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Matthews, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): cotton, soybeans; 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 6,364 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 3,754 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 615 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, 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 Matthews
Mostly: Cotton; Soybeans; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.59 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.79 mi NE.
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 Matthews ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 41st | 94th | 90th |
| Missouri | 89th | 7th | 87th | 100th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 68th | 4th | 90th | 100th |
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 Matthews: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Canalou 7 mi · Sikeston 9 mi · Morehouse 9 mi · East Prairie 10 mi · Miner 11 mi · Baker 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 Matthews (36.7568, -89.5675); 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.