city in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Bayard, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Bayard?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dry Beans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bayard, 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 May 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, dry Beans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dry Beans, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 7,251 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 99 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 84 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 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 Bayard
Mostly: Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Western Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi SE.
How Bayard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 66th | 84th | 71st |
| Nebraska | 68th | 99th | 59th | 50th |
| High Plains | 97th | 90th | 91st | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Bayard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McGrew 5 mi · Minatare 10 mi · Melbeta 10 mi · Bridgeport 13 mi · Gering 18 mi · Terrytown 19 mi
All towns in Nebraska · 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 Bayard (41.7572, -103.323); 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.