town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Mecca, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 34% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mecca?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mecca, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 2,167 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,784 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – late 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 Mecca
Mostly: North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi N.
How Mecca ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 91st | 82nd | 20th |
| Indiana | 34th | 93rd | 21st | 47th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 39th | 94th | 23rd | 39th |
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 Mecca: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Montezuma 5 mi · Hillsdale 5 mi · Fairview Park 5 mi · Lyford 6 mi · Clinton 6 mi · Rockville 6 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 Mecca (39.7271, -87.3317); 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.