city in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fort Calhoun?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fort Calhoun, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 1,202 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 962 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Jul (grown 3 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 Fort Calhoun
Mostly: Central Tallgrass Prairie; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.37 mi NE.
How Fort Calhoun ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 69th | 85th | 66th |
| Nebraska | 71st | 99th | 61st | 46th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 8th | 95th | 5th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Fort Calhoun: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Blair 8 mi · Kennard 9 mi · Bennington 9 mi · Washington 10 mi · Omaha 13 mi · Boys Town 15 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 Fort Calhoun (41.4564, -96.0263); 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.