community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Vistula, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Vistula?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Vistula, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 1,007 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 777 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Vistula
Mostly: North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi SW.
How Vistula ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 48th | 88th | 48th |
| Indiana | 16th | 49th | 31st | 87th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 33rd | 36th | 51st | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Vistula: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Middlebury 5 mi · Bristol 7 mi · Shipshewana Lake 7 mi · Scott 8 mi · Shipshewana 9 mi · Simonton Lake 13 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 Vistula (41.7488, -85.7123); 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.