town in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Southwest City, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 2.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Southwest City?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Southwest City, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Sorghum: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 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 Southwest City
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi SW.
How Southwest City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 97th | 55th | 26th |
| Missouri | 46th | 98th | 26th | 20th |
| Ozark Highlands | 84th | 93rd | 64th | 5th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Southwest City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Noel 7 mi · Ginger Blue 10 mi · Lanagan 11 mi · Pineville 13 mi · Anderson 13 mi · Jane 17 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 Southwest City (36.5173, -94.6075); 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.