village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Palestine, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Palestine?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Palestine, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 6,397 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 3,514 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 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 Palestine
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.4 mi SW.
How Palestine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 75th | 91st | 39th |
| Illinois | 55th | 88th | 32nd | 76th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 71st | 74th | 51st | 75th |
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 Palestine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Robinson 7 mi · Flat Rock 8 mi · Hutsonville 8 mi · Stoy 12 mi · West York 12 mi · Russellville 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 Palestine (39.0016, -87.6126); 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.