village in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Guide Rock, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Guide Rock?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Guide Rock, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, 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), garden flowers, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 413 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 905 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Guide Rock
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi NE.
How Guide Rock ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 49th | 91st | 49th |
| Nebraska | 80th | 92nd | 73rd | 31st |
| Central Great Plains | 92nd | 50th | 89th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Guide Rock: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cowles 9 mi · Red Cloud 10 mi · Superior 15 mi · Lawrence 15 mi · Nelson 16 mi · Inavale 17 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 Guide Rock (40.0737, -98.3288); 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.