village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Florence, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (71st percentile) and lowest in summer (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Florence?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Florence, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Soybeans: about 4,598 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 6,303 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Florence
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi E.
How Florence ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 57th | 88th | 34th |
| Illinois | 16th | 71st | 21st | 69th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 27th | 47th | 37th | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Florence: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Detroit 3 mi · Milton 5 mi · Valley City 6 mi · Oxville 6 mi · Griggsville 8 mi · Winchester 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 Florence (39.6284, -90.6128); 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.