village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in St. Jacob, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in St. Jacob?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of St. Jacob, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra 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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 5,845 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 8,286 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 St. Jacob
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.13 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.14 mi N.
How St. Jacob ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 54th | 94th | 24th |
| Illinois | 62nd | 67th | 50th | 57th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 77th | 42nd | 71st | 50th |
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 St. Jacob: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Marine 5 mi · Highland 5 mi · Troy 7 mi · Summerfield 8 mi · Lebanon 8 mi · Trenton 9 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 St. Jacob (38.718, -89.7633); 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.