village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Old Mill Creek, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Old Mill Creek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Old Mill Creek, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 867 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 551 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , 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 Old Mill Creek
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi SE.
How Old Mill Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 44th | 91st | 55th |
| Illinois | 25th | 57th | 31st | 91st |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | 82nd | 51st | 77th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Old Mill Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lindenhurst 3 mi · Grandwood Park 3 mi · Wadsworth 3 mi · Venetian Village 4 mi · Third Lake 5 mi · Gurnee 5 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 Old Mill Creek (42.4331, -87.9822); 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.