city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Anna, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 11% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Anna?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Anna, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 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 Anna
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi W; open water 0.44 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 71% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Anna ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 94th | 68th | 39th |
| Illinois | 11th | 99th | 4th | 76th |
| Interior Plateau | 72nd | 82nd | 67th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Anna: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jonesboro 2 mi · Cobden 5 mi · Dongola 8 mi · Mill Creek 8 mi · Alto Pass 9 mi · Makanda 11 mi
All towns in Illinois · 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 Anna (37.4611, -89.2375); 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.