village in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Wardsville, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wardsville?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wardsville, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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
- Soybeans: about 201 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Wardsville
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.18 mi E.
How Wardsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 93rd | 67th | 51st |
| Missouri | 40th | 83rd | 41st | 58th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 17th | 96th | 10th | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 71% 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 Wardsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Taos 5 mi · Jefferson City 5 mi · St. Thomas 9 mi · Lohman 10 mi · Westphalia 11 mi · St. Martins 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 Wardsville (38.4918, -92.1825); 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.