town in Oklahoma
Honey bee forage in Helena, Oklahoma
Estimated forage here is better than about 34% of sites in Oklahoma. Against other Oklahoma sites it stands out most in summer (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Helena?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Helena, 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 6.
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); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 137 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Helena
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi W; open water 0.6 mi S.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 53% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Helena ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 59th | 59th | 21st |
| Oklahoma | 34th | 29th | 87th | 14th |
| Central Great Plains | 29th | 69th | 43rd | 23rd |
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 Helena: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Goltry 7 mi · Jet 10 mi · Aline 10 mi · Carmen 11 mi · Ringwood 11 mi · Meno 12 mi
All towns in Oklahoma · 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 Helena (36.5465, -98.2719); 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.