community in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Keshena, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (50th percentile) and lowest in summer (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Keshena?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Keshena, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): summer-flowering shrubs, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), alfalfa; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 609 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Keshena
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 1.2 mi E.
How Keshena ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 27th | 57th | 44th | 18th |
| Wisconsin | 4th | 50th | 3rd | 7th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 2nd | 63rd | 2nd | 1st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 90% 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 Keshena: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Legend Lake 3 mi · Shawano 6 mi · Thornton 7 mi · Cecil 8 mi · Middle Village 8 mi · Gresham 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 Keshena (44.8668, -88.5853); 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.