village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in De Pue, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 8% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in De Pue?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- 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 De Pue, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 2,591 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 4,129 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 De Pue
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.35 mi NE.
How De Pue ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 72nd | 80th | 56th |
| Illinois | 8th | 86th | 11th | 92nd |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 7th | 94th | 8th | 86th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 De Pue: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hollowayville 2 mi · Seatonville 3 mi · Bureau Junction 4 mi · Mark 5 mi · Hennepin 5 mi · Granville 6 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 De Pue (41.3296, -89.3037); 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.