village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Spring Bay, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (79th percentile) and lowest in summer (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Spring Bay?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spring Bay, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 316 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 641 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, 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 Spring Bay
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.04 mi W.
How Spring Bay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 55th | 59th | 41st |
| Illinois | 1st | 68th | 3rd | 79th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | below the 1st | 44th | 7th | 77th |
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 Spring Bay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bay View Gardens 1 mi · Mossville 2 mi · Rome 4 mi · Germantown Hills 5 mi · Peoria Heights 6 mi · Peoria 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 Spring Bay (40.8212, -89.5311); 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.