city in Nebraska

Honey bee forage in Chappell, Nebraska

Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 2.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Chappell?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chappell, 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 4.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra 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; light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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 342 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, 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 Chappell

Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Western Great Plains Sand Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi SW.

How Chappell ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US67th64th73rd76th
Nebraska56th98th43rd55th
High Plains88th89th68th74th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 54% 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 Chappell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Lodgepole 10 mi · Sunol 16 mi · Big Springs 21 mi · Oshkosh 23 mi · Lewellen 24 mi · Sidney 26 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 Chappell (41.0913, -102.4699); 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.