village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Bone Gap, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bone Gap?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bone Gap, 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 15.
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
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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 12,847 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 7,826 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Bone Gap
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.19 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi S.
How Bone Gap ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 59th | 97th | 10th |
| Illinois | 97th | 73rd | 66th | 30th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 97th | 50th | 84th | 17th |
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 Bone Gap: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Browns 5 mi · West Salem 5 mi · Albion 6 mi · Bellmont 6 mi · Keensburg 10 mi · Parkersburg 10 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 Bone Gap (38.4449, -87.9976); 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.