community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Whiteash, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in summer (5th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Whiteash?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Whiteash, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Whiteash
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.04 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi SW.
How Whiteash ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 96th | 72nd | 29th |
| Illinois | 19th | 100th | 5th | 64th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 29th | 99th | 13th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Whiteash: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spillertown 1 mi · Johnston City 3 mi · Marion 3 mi · Pittsburg 4 mi · Energy 5 mi · Herrin 6 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 Whiteash (37.7838, -88.9307); 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.