community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Blue Ridge, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in summer (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Blue Ridge?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Blue Ridge, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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 13,769 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 12,020 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 Blue Ridge
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi W.
How Blue Ridge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 42nd | 97th | 10th |
| Indiana | 81st | 43rd | 73rd | 21st |
| Eastern Corn Belt Plains | 66th | 46th | 61st | 21st |
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 Blue Ridge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Manilla 4 mi · Waldron 5 mi · Homer 5 mi · St. Paul 6 mi · St. Omer 6 mi · Shelbyville 8 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 Blue Ridge (39.5212, -85.6379); 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.