village in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Big Springs, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Big Springs?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Springs, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Corn: about 7,949 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early 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 Big Springs
Mostly: Corn; Western Great Plains Sand Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
How Big Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 65th | 72nd | 68th |
| Nebraska | 55th | 98th | 42nd | 46th |
| High Plains | 86th | 89th | 66th | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Big Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brule 10 mi · Belmar 18 mi · Lewellen 19 mi · Ogallala 19 mi · Lemoyne 20 mi · Venango 21 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 Big Springs (41.0609, -102.0745); 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.