community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Fall Creek, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (62nd percentile) and lowest in summer (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fall Creek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fall Creek, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Corn: about 1,474 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,410 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early 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 Fall Creek
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.15 mi SW.
How Fall Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 49th | 91st | 23rd |
| Illinois | 33rd | 62nd | 35th | 56th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 46th | 36th | 55th | 48th |
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 Fall Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Payson 4 mi · Plainville 6 mi · Hull 7 mi · Adams 8 mi · Burton 9 mi · Kinderhook 10 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 Fall Creek (39.7814, -91.3032); 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.