city in Illinois

Honey bee forage in Casey, Illinois

Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Casey?

  • 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
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Casey, 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 20.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; 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 10,049 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 4,223 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, 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 Casey

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) 0.12 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.23 mi E.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 62% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.

How Casey ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US95th79th92nd45th
Illinois70th91st36th83rd
Interior River Valleys and Hills83rd80th56th84th

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 Casey: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Martinsville 6 mi · Greenup 10 mi · Westfield 10 mi · Yale 13 mi · Hidalgo 14 mi · Toledo 14 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 Casey (39.3054, -87.9853); 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.