city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in East Dubuque, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 8% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in East Dubuque?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Dubuque, 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 May 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 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 East Dubuque
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi W; open water 0.5 mi W.
How East Dubuque ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 81st | 75th | 67th |
| Illinois | 8th | 92nd | 6th | 96th |
| Driftless Area | 50th | 100th | 12th | 64th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 East Dubuque: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Menominee 4 mi · Galena 11 mi · The Galena Territory 17 mi · Scales Mound 19 mi · Elizabeth 24 mi · Apple Canyon Lake 24 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 East Dubuque (42.4883, -90.6242); 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.