village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Bethany, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bethany?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bethany, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 10,814 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 4,802 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, 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 Bethany
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi E; open water 0.24 mi NE.
How Bethany ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 69th | 93rd | 40th |
| Illinois | 70th | 83rd | 43rd | 77th |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 60th | 92nd | 27th | 77th |
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 Bethany: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dalton City 6 mi · Lovington 8 mi · Lake City 8 mi · Sullivan 8 mi · Findlay 8 mi · LaPlace 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 Bethany (39.6442, -88.7409); 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.