town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Riley, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in spring (69th percentile) and lowest in summer (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Riley?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Riley, 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 21.
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): 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): 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 5,618 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,120 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, 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 Riley
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi S.
How Riley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 69th | 90th | 23rd |
| Indiana | 53rd | 69th | 42nd | 54th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 60th | 66th | 48th | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Riley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lakewood 0 mi · Cory 5 mi · Terre Haute 7 mi · Seelyville 7 mi · Dresser 8 mi · Cloverland 9 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 Riley (39.3898, -87.3002); 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.