village in Illinois

Honey bee forage in Lake Ka-Ho, Illinois

Estimated forage here is better than about 21% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Lake Ka-Ho?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Ka-Ho, 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 20.

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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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

  • Soybeans: about 1,861 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 1,818 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 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 Lake Ka-Ho

Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Soybeans.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.

How Lake Ka-Ho ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US85th66th87th46th
Illinois21st80th19th84th
Interior River Valleys and Hills32nd61st34th86th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 46% 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 Lake Ka-Ho: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Eagarville 2 mi · Mount Olive 2 mi · White City 2 mi · Benld 3 mi · Sawyerville 3 mi · Gillespie 4 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 Lake Ka-Ho (39.097, -89.7461); 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.