community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Rest Haven, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 18% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rest Haven?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rest Haven, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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
- Soybeans: about 1,926 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,953 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 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 Rest Haven
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.07 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi S.
How Rest Haven ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 66th | 87th | 58th |
| Illinois | 18th | 81st | 17th | 93rd |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 13th | 90th | 12th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Rest Haven: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ritchie 1 mi · Custer Park 1 mi · Lakewood Shores 2 mi · Wilmington 5 mi · Braidwood 5 mi · Godley 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 Rest Haven (41.2583, -88.1297); 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.