community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Oswego, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 22% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Oswego?
- 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: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oswego, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 6,155 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 4,481 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late 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 Oswego
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.02 mi N; open water 0.02 mi N.
How Oswego ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 55th | 88th | 44th |
| Indiana | 22nd | 55th | 32nd | 83rd |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 44th | 48th | 52nd | 27th |
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 Oswego: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Leesburg 3 mi · Barbee 4 mi · North Webster 5 mi · Warsaw 6 mi · Syracuse 7 mi · Milford 7 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 Oswego (41.3224, -85.7871); 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.