town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Santa Claus, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 18% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Santa Claus?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Santa Claus, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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); 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 96 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 820 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Santa Claus
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.04 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi SW.
How Santa Claus ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 88th | 77th | 29th |
| Indiana | 18th | 89th | 16th | 64th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 22nd | 91st | 17th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Santa Claus: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mariah Hill 3 mi · Dale 5 mi · Gentryville 6 mi · St. Meinrad 6 mi · Newtonville 8 mi · Ferdinand 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 Santa Claus (38.1161, -86.9272); 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.