city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Chillicothe, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 1.4 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chillicothe?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chillicothe, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 4,042 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,495 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Chillicothe
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.35 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.63 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 66% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024); Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Chillicothe ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 68th | 84th | 57th |
| Illinois | 10th | 82nd | 13th | 92nd |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 20th | 64th | 25th | 97th |
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 Chillicothe: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rome 3 mi · Hopewell 5 mi · Spring Bay 7 mi · Bay View Gardens 7 mi · Mossville 8 mi · Sparland 8 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 Chillicothe (40.916, -89.5027); 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.