community in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Arkdale, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in fall (77th percentile) and lowest in spring (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Arkdale?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa, dry Beans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Arkdale, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, dry Beans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Corn: about 595 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 214 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sweet corn: about 92 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 58 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 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 Arkdale
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Pine-(Oak) Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.19 mi N; open water 0.21 mi N.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% 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 Arkdale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 42nd | 83rd | 73rd |
| Wisconsin | 46th | 21st | 62nd | 77th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 33rd | 30th | 53rd | 45th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Arkdale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Friendship 5 mi · Dellwood 6 mi · Adams 6 mi · Necedah 9 mi · Lake Arrowhead 12 mi · Grand Marsh 13 mi
All towns in Wisconsin · National map · How the scoring works
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 Arkdale (44.0262, -89.8861); 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.