village in Nebraska

Honey bee forage in Lewellen, Nebraska

Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Lewellen?

  • 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, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lewellen, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra 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

  • Corn: about 871 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Alfalfa: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early 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 Lewellen

Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Western Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi NE.

How Lewellen ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US74th69th77th70th
Nebraska62nd99th48th48th
High Plains92nd93rd79th65th

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

About 60% 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 Lewellen: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Belmar 11 mi · Oshkosh 12 mi · Lemoyne 18 mi · Big Springs 19 mi · Brule 21 mi · Martin 23 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 Lewellen (41.3305, -102.1437); 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.