town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Alton, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 3% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alton?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alton, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 149 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early 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 Alton
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi SE.
How Alton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 86th | 48th | 17th |
| Indiana | 3rd | 86th | 4th | 42nd |
| Interior Plateau | 21st | 34th | 38th | 14th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Alton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Leavenworth 7 mi · New Amsterdam 8 mi · Leopold 9 mi · Grantsburg 12 mi · Mauckport 14 mi · English 15 mi
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 Alton (38.1201, -86.4186); 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.