village in Illinois

Honey bee forage in Norris City, Illinois

Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Norris City?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Norris City, 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 13.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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

  • Soybeans: about 5,946 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 769 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Norris City

Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: open water 0.27 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi E.

How Norris City ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US98th85th93rd27th
Illinois92nd94th41st62nd
Interior River Valleys and Hills95th87th61st56th

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 Norris City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Omaha 6 mi · Broughton 8 mi · Enfield 8 mi · Carmi 11 mi · New Haven 12 mi · Ridgway 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 Norris City (37.9786, -88.3278); 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.