village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Valmeyer, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Valmeyer?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- 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 Valmeyer, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 2,725 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 611 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early 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 Valmeyer
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.42 mi E.
How Valmeyer ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 66th | 86th | 41st |
| Illinois | 14th | 80th | 16th | 78th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 24th | 60th | 29th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Valmeyer: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Maeystown 6 mi · Waterloo 8 mi · Fults 11 mi · Columbia 11 mi · Floraville 14 mi · Paderborn 14 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 Valmeyer (38.3058, -90.2983); 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.