city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Sheldon, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sheldon?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sheldon, 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, soybeans, dandelion; 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): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light 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
- Corn: about 1,197 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 58 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms late May – late 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 Sheldon
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.31 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi S.
How Sheldon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 93rd | 86th | 17th |
| Missouri | 80th | 86th | 64th | 11th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 76th | 83rd | 50th | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Sheldon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Irwin 5 mi · Milo 7 mi · Milford 9 mi · Bronaugh 10 mi · Moundville 11 mi · Lamar Heights 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 Sheldon (37.6584, -94.2957); 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.