village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Menominee, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Menominee?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Menominee, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, alfalfa; 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
- Corn: about 418 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 176 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms late Jun – late 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 Menominee
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.66 mi SW.
How Menominee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 65th | 86th | 61st |
| Illinois | 14th | 80th | 16th | 94th |
| Driftless Area | 70th | 89th | 54th | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Menominee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
East Dubuque 4 mi · Galena 7 mi · The Galena Territory 12 mi · Scales Mound 15 mi · Elizabeth 20 mi · Apple Canyon Lake 20 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 Menominee (42.4747, -90.5429); 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.