city in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Nelson, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Nelson?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Nelson, 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, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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, 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 290 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3,430 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Nelson
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn; Western Great Plains Riparian Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi SE.
How Nelson ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 64th | 86th | 64th |
| Nebraska | 71st | 98th | 63rd | 43rd |
| Central Great Plains | 87th | 76th | 80th | 71st |
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 Nelson: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nora 6 mi · Oak 9 mi · Deweese 11 mi · Ruskin 11 mi · Lawrence 12 mi · Superior 12 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 Nelson (40.2012, -98.0686); 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.