city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Shelbina, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in summer (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Shelbina?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Shelbina, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 4,426 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,966 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 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 Shelbina
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.51 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.59 mi SW.
How Shelbina ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 97th | 72nd | 94th | 43rd |
| Missouri | 94th | 34th | 86th | 41st |
| Central Irregular Plains | 96th | 39th | 88th | 59th |
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 Shelbina: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shelbyville 8 mi · Hunnewell 10 mi · Clarence 12 mi · Bethel 13 mi · Goss 13 mi · Stoutsville 14 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 Shelbina (39.693, -92.0397); 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.