village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Dane, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here); alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dane?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dane, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 12,326 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 564 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi S, 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 Dane
Mostly: Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.31 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi N.
How Dane ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 29th | 89th | 60th |
| Wisconsin | 74th | 7th | 88th | 43rd |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | 37th | 21st | 64th | 29th |
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 Dane: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Waunakee 5 mi · Lodi 5 mi · DeForest 8 mi · Arlington 9 mi · Lake Wisconsin 10 mi · Middleton 10 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 Dane (43.2461, -89.4996); 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.