town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Sandborn, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in summer (83rd percentile) and lowest in spring (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NW); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); watermelons (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sandborn?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sandborn, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): watermelons, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 11,210 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 11,159 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Watermelons: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Oct (grown 1 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 Sandborn
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.4 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Watermelons: insecticides used on about 38% 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 Sandborn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 46th | 98th | 23rd |
| Indiana | 97th | 48th | 83rd | 54th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 97th | 34th | 91st | 48th |
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 Sandborn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Westphalia 3 mi · Elnora 6 mi · Pleasantville 6 mi · Plainville 7 mi · Edwardsport 7 mi · Freelandville 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 Sandborn (38.8968, -87.1846); 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.