community in Missouri
Honey bee forage in New Wells, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (67th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in New Wells?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of New Wells, 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some 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 1,070 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 207 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, 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 New Wells
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi W.
How New Wells ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 73rd | 88th | 20th |
| Missouri | 65th | 35th | 67th | 13th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 40th | 71st | 35th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 49% 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 New Wells: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shawneetown 2 mi · Pocahontas 4 mi · Old Appleton 5 mi · Altenburg 6 mi · Frohna 6 mi · Oak Ridge 7 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 New Wells (37.554, -89.6245); 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.