village in Illinois

Honey bee forage in Pleasant Hill, Illinois

Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (74th percentile) and lowest in summer (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Pleasant Hill?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pleasant Hill, 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 21.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 9,513 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 3,340 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms early Jun – 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 Pleasant Hill

Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; open water 0.09 mi SW.

How Pleasant Hill ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US91st60th92nd27th
Illinois44th74th36th63rd
Interior River Valleys and Hills60th52nd56th57th

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 Pleasant Hill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Nebo 5 mi · Rockport 10 mi · Pittsfield 11 mi · Pearl 14 mi · El Dara 14 mi · Milton 15 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 Pleasant Hill (39.4432, -90.8729); 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.