community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Paderborn, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (70th percentile) and lowest in fall (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Paderborn?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Paderborn, 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
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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 6,970 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3,704 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 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 Paderborn
Mostly: Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi S.
How Paderborn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 57th | 96th | 14th |
| Illinois | 91st | 70th | 64th | 36th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 95th | 46th | 83rd | 22nd |
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 Paderborn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Floraville 1 mi · Hecker 5 mi · Smithton 5 mi · Waterloo 6 mi · Millstadt 7 mi · Freeburg 9 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 Paderborn (38.3594, -90.0469); 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.