village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 6% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cave-In-Rock?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cave-In-Rock, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 1,176 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 451 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, blooms early Jun – early 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 Cave-In-Rock
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.24 mi S.
How Cave-In-Rock ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 80th | 75th | 21st |
| Illinois | 6th | 91st | 7th | 53rd |
| Interior Plateau | 54th | 15th | 77th | 22nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Cave-In-Rock: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Elizabethtown 8 mi · Rosiclare 11 mi · Old Shawneetown 16 mi · Shawneetown 17 mi · Junction 18 mi · Golconda 19 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 Cave-In-Rock (37.471, -88.1658); 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.