village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Roanoke, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Illinois. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Illinois sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Roanoke?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Roanoke, 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 28.
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, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, pumpkins; extra 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
- Soybeans: about 15,626 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 16,188 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Pumpkins: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Oct (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 Roanoke
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.53 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Roanoke ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 54th | 97th | 36th |
| Illinois | 91st | 68th | 65th | 72nd |
| Central Corn Belt Plains | 88th | 83rd | 48th | 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 Roanoke: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Secor 5 mi · Benson 6 mi · Eureka 7 mi · Lowpoint 8 mi · Metamora 9 mi · Panola 10 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 Roanoke (40.7985, -89.2013); 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.