city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Marseilles, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marseilles?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marseilles, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 3,014 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,496 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Marseilles
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.04 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S.
How Marseilles ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 69th | 73rd | 63rd |
| Illinois | 4th | 83rd | 6th | 94th |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 3rd | 92nd | 4th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Marseilles: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Seneca 3 mi · Ottawa 8 mi · Dayton 8 mi · Wedron 10 mi · Grand Ridge 10 mi · Kinsman 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 Marseilles (41.3182, -88.6762); 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.