city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Wisconsin. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Wisconsin sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dodgeville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dodgeville, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, alfalfa; 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 780 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 186 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Dodgeville
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi S; open water 0.49 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 66% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Dodgeville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 68th | 88th | 77th |
| Wisconsin | 97th | 74th | 81st | 83rd |
| Driftless Area | 91st | 93rd | 67th | 96th |
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 Dodgeville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Edmund 7 mi · Ridgeway 7 mi · Mineral Point 8 mi · Linden 8 mi · Cobb 10 mi · Hollandale 12 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 Dodgeville (42.966, -90.1297); 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.