community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Riggston, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in summer (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Riggston?
- First forage: Jun 1 (soybeans)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Riggston, 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 23.
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
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 5,341 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 6,076 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Riggston
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.45 mi W.
How Riggston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 10th | 98th | 8th |
| Illinois | 65th | 23rd | 73rd | 22nd |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 79th | 3rd | 90th | 11th |
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 Riggston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Merritt 1 mi · Lynnville 4 mi · Exeter 4 mi · Winchester 5 mi · Chapin 5 mi · Bluffs 7 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 Riggston (39.6946, -90.4233); 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.