city in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Bolivar, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.8 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bolivar?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, cotton)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bolivar, 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 Mar 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, cotton; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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
- Soybeans: about 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 94 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 42 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Bolivar
Mostly: East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest; East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest; Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.35 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Bolivar ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 95th | 53rd | 38th |
| Tennessee | 72nd | 83rd | 63rd | 63rd |
| Southeastern Plains | 86th | 93rd | 80th | 92nd |
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 Bolivar: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Toone 7 mi · Whiteville 9 mi · Hickory Valley 10 mi · Hornsby 11 mi · Silerton 13 mi · Mercer 15 mi
All towns in Tennessee · 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 Bolivar (35.264, -89.0119); 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.