village in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Center, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Center?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Center, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, soybeans; 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 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 40 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Center
Mostly: Central Tallgrass Prairie; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi S.
How Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 59th | 74th | 82nd |
| Nebraska | 56th | 97th | 45th | 63rd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 1st | 89th | 1st | 99th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bazile Mills 7 mi · Winnetoon 8 mi · Verdigre 8 mi · Creighton 10 mi · Lindy 11 mi · Bloomfield 12 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 Center (42.609, -97.8762); 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.