city in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Broken Bow, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi E); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SE); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Broken Bow?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Broken Bow, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, soybeans; 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 1,641 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 70 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 208 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NW, 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 Broken Bow
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn; Western Great Plains Sand Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi S; open water 0.16 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 64% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Broken Bow ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 59th | 79th | 74th |
| Nebraska | 61st | 98th | 52nd | 53rd |
| Central Great Plains | 76th | 69th | 70th | 86th |
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 Broken Bow: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Berwyn 8 mi · Merna 8 mi · Westerville 13 mi · Ansley 16 mi · Callaway 16 mi · Anselmo 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 Broken Bow (41.4052, -99.6408); 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.