community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Ritchie, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ritchie?
- 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 Ritchie, 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): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 3,536 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3,638 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jul – 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 Ritchie
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi S.
How Ritchie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 59th | 87th | 54th |
| Illinois | 16th | 73rd | 19th | 90th |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 12th | 86th | 13th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Ritchie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rest Haven 1 mi · Custer Park 1 mi · Lakewood Shores 2 mi · Wilmington 5 mi · Braidwood 6 mi · Symerton 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 Ritchie (41.2557, -88.1158); 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.