community in Mississippi
Honey bee forage in Bolivar, Mississippi
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Mississippi. Against other Mississippi sites it stands out most in summer (89th percentile) and lowest in fall (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bolivar?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bolivar, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, cotton, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 9,507 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 321 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 193 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late May – early Jun (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 Bolivar
Mostly: Soybeans; Mississippi River High Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Bolivar ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 97th | 81st | 17th |
| Mississippi | 89th | 88th | 89th | 73rd |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 64th | 77th | 51st | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Bolivar: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Benoit 3 mi · Scott 5 mi · Beulah 10 mi · Winterville 11 mi · Rosedale 14 mi · Pace 14 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 Bolivar (33.6607, -91.0518); 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.