city in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Blue Springs, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Blue Springs?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Blue 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 Apr 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 856 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,255 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Blue Springs
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Central Tallgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S.
How Blue Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 68th | 91st | 57th |
| Nebraska | 87th | 99th | 71st | 37th |
| Central Great Plains | 96th | 80th | 88th | 59th |
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 Blue Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wymore 1 mi · Holmesville 4 mi · Barneston 8 mi · Odell 9 mi · Liberty 10 mi · Beatrice 10 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 Blue Springs (40.1372, -96.6628); 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.