community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Ramsey, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in spring (77th percentile) and lowest in summer (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ramsey?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ramsey, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, pumpkins, dandelion; 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); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 628 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 176 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, 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 Ramsey
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Ramsey ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 79th | 84th | 39th |
| Indiana | 25th | 77th | 23rd | 76th |
| Interior Plateau | 83rd | 14th | 90th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Ramsey: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
New Salisbury 3 mi · Depauw 4 mi · Crandall 5 mi · Palmyra 7 mi · Milltown 7 mi · Corydon 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 Ramsey (38.3217, -86.1557); 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.