city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Fulton, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 7% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (10th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fulton?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fulton, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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 5,875 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,277 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late 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 Fulton
Mostly: Open water; Corn; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.24 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.52 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 57% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Fulton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 71st | 79th | 63rd |
| Illinois | 7th | 85th | 10th | 94th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 15th | 68th | 19th | 100th |
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 Fulton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Albany 6 mi · Thomson 8 mi · Morrison 11 mi · Erie 15 mi · Cordova 15 mi · Lyndon 16 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 Fulton (41.8652, -90.1587); 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.