village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in McClure, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here); cotton (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in McClure?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of McClure, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Soybeans: about 6,727 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 McClure
Mostly: Soybeans; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.42 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.43 mi N.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How McClure ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 72nd | 95th | 17th |
| Illinois | 99th | 86th | 56th | 45th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 98th | 70th | 76th | 33rd |
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 McClure: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
East Cape Girardeau 3 mi · Thebes 7 mi · Olive Branch 10 mi · Mill Creek 10 mi · Tamms 10 mi · Jonesboro 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 McClure (37.3126, -89.4316); 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.