village in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Mill Spring, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.9 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mill Spring?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mill Spring, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms early Jun – early 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 Mill Spring
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW.
How Mill Spring ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 85th | 40th | 62nd |
| Missouri | 16th | 66th | 13th | 91st |
| Ozark Highlands | 35th | 41st | 33rd | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 90% 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 Mill Spring: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Piedmont 6 mi · Williamsville 10 mi · Ellsinore 10 mi · Greenville 13 mi · Des Arc 15 mi · Hunter 16 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 Mill Spring (37.0651, -90.6779); 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.