village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Barrington Hills, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 6% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Barrington Hills?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barrington Hills, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 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 Barrington Hills
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi SW.
How Barrington Hills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 83rd | 68th | 71st |
| Illinois | 6th | 94th | 4th | 96th |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | 15th | 99th | 2nd | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Barrington Hills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
East Dundee 4 mi · Barrington 4 mi · Fox River Grove 4 mi · South Barrington 4 mi · Trout Valley 5 mi · Carpentersville 5 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 Barrington Hills (42.1386, -88.203); 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.