community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Crab Orchard, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 17% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Crab Orchard?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Crab Orchard, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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 842 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 5 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 Crab Orchard
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi W; open water 0.06 mi W.
How Crab Orchard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 91st | 78th | 22nd |
| Illinois | 17th | 98th | 9th | 53rd |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 28th | 94th | 18th | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Crab Orchard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pittsburg 4 mi · Spillertown 7 mi · Marion 7 mi · Creal Springs 7 mi · Whiteash 8 mi · Stonefort 9 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 Crab Orchard (37.7236, -88.8103); 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.