city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Orient, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orient?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orient, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1,459 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 186 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, 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 Orient
Mostly: North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest; Soybeans; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi NE.
How Orient ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 95th | 84th | 42nd |
| Illinois | 45th | 99th | 14th | 80th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 60th | 98th | 26th | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Orient: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
West Frankfort 3 mi · Freeman Spur 4 mi · Zeigler 4 mi · Buckner 5 mi · Christopher 5 mi · West City 6 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 Orient (37.9176, -88.9783); 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.