town in Mississippi
Honey bee forage in Artesia, Mississippi
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Mississippi. Against other Mississippi sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Artesia?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Artesia, 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 Mar 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, cotton; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 157 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 197 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Artesia
Mostly: Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S.
How Artesia ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 98th | 54th | 8th |
| Mississippi | 85th | 91st | 78th | 46th |
| Southeastern Plains | 98th | 100th | 81st | 39th |
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 Artesia: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Crawford 8 mi · Mississippi State 9 mi · Starkville 11 mi · Brooksville 13 mi · West Point 13 mi · Columbus 15 mi
All towns in Mississippi · 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 Artesia (33.4167, -88.6423); 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.