community in Mississippi
Honey bee forage in Winterville, Mississippi
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Mississippi. Against other Mississippi sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Winterville?
- First forage: Apr 16 (soybeans)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jun 30, peaking late May (soybeans)
- Season ends: Jul 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Winterville, 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): soybeans
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cotton; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, cotton; extra 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 19,325 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,426 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early May – early Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 64 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Winterville
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi E.
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 Winterville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 99th | 90th | 2nd |
| Mississippi | 98th | 98th | 96th | 6th |
| Mississippi Alluvial Plain | 95th | 95th | 77th | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Winterville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Metcalfe 5 mi · Scott 6 mi · Greenville 8 mi · Stoneville 10 mi · Benoit 11 mi · Bolivar 11 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 Winterville (33.5024, -91.0603); 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.