town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Sidney, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (62nd percentile) and lowest in spring (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sidney?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sidney, 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): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 4,451 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,837 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early 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 Sidney
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi N.
How Sidney ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 40th | 94th | 27th |
| Indiana | 55th | 41st | 58th | 62nd |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 90th | 23rd | 89th | 12th |
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 Sidney: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Liberty Mills 4 mi · South Whitley 6 mi · Pierceton 7 mi · Wooster 7 mi · North Manchester 7 mi · Claypool 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 Sidney (41.105, -85.7429); 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.