village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Malta, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (60th percentile) and lowest in spring (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Malta?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Malta, 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 7.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, 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
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 13,932 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 8,108 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Malta
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.27 mi NE.
How Malta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 31st | 95th | 26th |
| Illinois | 45th | 43rd | 51st | 60th |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 37th | 67th | 35th | 68th |
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 Malta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Creston 5 mi · DeKalb 6 mi · Cortland 9 mi · Steward 9 mi · Rochelle 10 mi · Lee 10 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 Malta (41.9295, -88.8712); 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.