village in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Elsie, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Elsie?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Elsie, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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 11,449 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 142 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NE, 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 Elsie
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.21 mi NW.
How Elsie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 49th | 78th | 66th |
| Nebraska | 54th | 91st | 51st | 46th |
| High Plains | 85th | 57th | 83rd | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 42% 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 Elsie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Madrid 7 mi · Wallace 12 mi · Grant 18 mi · Paxton 19 mi · Roscoe 22 mi · Sarben 22 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 Elsie (40.8472, -101.3892); 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.