city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Bunker Hill, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bunker Hill?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bunker Hill, 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 18.
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, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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, 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 6,775 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 8,328 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, 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 Bunker Hill
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.38 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.61 mi SE.
How Bunker Hill ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 79th | 91st | 43rd |
| Illinois | 61st | 91st | 32nd | 81st |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 76th | 81st | 51st | 81st |
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 Bunker Hill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dorchester 5 mi · Royal Lakes 5 mi · Prairietown 5 mi · Wilsonville 5 mi · Shipman 7 mi · Mount Clare 7 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 Bunker Hill (39.0415, -89.9511); 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.