village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Junction, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Junction?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Junction, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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 9,672 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,481 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Junction
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi NW.
How Junction ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 63rd | 97th | 9th |
| Illinois | 100th | 78th | 71st | 26th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 99th | 57th | 88th | 14th |
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 Junction: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shawneetown 3 mi · Ridgway 5 mi · Old Shawneetown 6 mi · Equality 6 mi · Omaha 12 mi · Eldorado 13 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 Junction (37.7234, -88.2377); 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.