town in Indiana

Honey bee forage in Ogden Dunes, Indiana

Estimated forage here is better than about 2% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Ogden Dunes?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion)
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ogden Dunes, 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 May 3.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra 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 80 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 125 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (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 Ogden Dunes

Mostly: Open water; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; open water 0.06 mi N.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 53% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.

How Ogden Dunes ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US60th69th64th66th
Indiana2nd69th9th97th
Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains3rd76th3rd66th

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 Ogden Dunes: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Portage 3 mi · Burns Harbor 4 mi · Lake Station 5 mi · Dune Acres 6 mi · Porter 6 mi · New Chicago 6 mi

All towns in Indiana · 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 Ogden Dunes (41.6287, -87.1925); 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.