city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Hillsboro, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in fall (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi SE); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hillsboro?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hillsboro, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, soybeans; 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 85 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jul – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 121 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 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 Hillsboro
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE.
How Hillsboro ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 64th | 84th | 77th |
| Wisconsin | 76th | 67th | 63rd | 83rd |
| Driftless Area | 63rd | 85th | 44th | 97th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Hillsboro: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Union Center 4 mi · Wonewoc 6 mi · Elroy 7 mi · Yuba 10 mi · Kendall 10 mi · Cazenovia 11 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 Hillsboro (43.6565, -90.3344); 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.