city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Sparta, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sparta?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sparta, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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 111 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 99 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 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 Sparta
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Sparta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 84th | 88th | 32nd |
| Illinois | 40th | 94th | 19th | 67th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 55th | 87th | 35th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Sparta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tilden 6 mi · Baldwin 7 mi · Coulterville 8 mi · Marissa 8 mi · Steeleville 10 mi · Percy 11 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 Sparta (38.1394, -89.7305); 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.