community in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in White Clay, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: buckwheat (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.9 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in White Clay?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), buckwheat)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of White Clay, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), buckwheat, alfalfa; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): buckwheat, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower, buckwheat, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Buckwheat: about 120 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Oct (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 83 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 331 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 151 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 White Clay
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.11 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.12 mi W.
How White Clay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 47th | 85th | 94th |
| Nebraska | 65th | 89th | 61st | 98th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 93rd | 96th | 91st | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 White Clay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clinton 19 mi · Rushville 20 mi · Gordon 22 mi · Hay Springs 23 mi · Chadron 26 mi · Whitney 38 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 White Clay (42.997, -102.555); 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.