village in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Stapleton, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Stapleton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Stapleton, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans; 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 210 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 140 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Stapleton
Mostly: Western Great Plains Sand Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Western Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.38 mi NE.
How Stapleton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 47th | 79th | 77th |
| Nebraska | 56th | 90th | 52nd | 57th |
| Central Great Plains | 71st | 45th | 69th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Stapleton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gandy 3 mi · Arnold 17 mi · Tryon 23 mi · North Platte 27 mi · Maxwell 28 mi · Halsey 32 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 Stapleton (41.4802, -100.5126); 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.