village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Milton, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in summer (60th percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Milton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Milton, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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
- Soybeans: about 5,845 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 5,303 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Milton
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi S; open water 0.39 mi E.
How Milton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 37th | 96th | 16th |
| Illinois | 63rd | 49th | 60th | 44th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 78th | 22nd | 80th | 31st |
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 Milton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Detroit 4 mi · Florence 5 mi · Pearl 7 mi · Pittsfield 9 mi · Glasgow 9 mi · Valley City 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 Milton (39.5646, -90.6499); 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.