village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Banner, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Banner?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Banner, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 91 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 427 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – 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 Banner
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Open water; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi N.
How Banner ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 65th | 84th | 50th |
| Illinois | 10th | 79th | 14th | 87th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 19th | 59th | 26th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Banner: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dunfermline 6 mi · Glasford 7 mi · Canton 7 mi · St. David 7 mi · Kingston Mines 8 mi · Goofy Ridge 8 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 Banner (40.5126, -89.9156); 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.