village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Louisville, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Louisville?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Louisville, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 529 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,531 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 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 Louisville
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi W.
How Louisville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 73rd | 91st | 39th |
| Illinois | 56th | 87th | 33rd | 76th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 72nd | 71st | 53rd | 75th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Louisville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Flora 7 mi · Iola 8 mi · Sailor Springs 8 mi · Clay City 10 mi · Xenia 12 mi · La Clede 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 Louisville (38.7694, -88.5069); 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.