city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Lancaster, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Wisconsin. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Wisconsin sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Lancaster?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lancaster, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, 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, 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, dandelion, soybeans, 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 812 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 227 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, 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 Lancaster
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) 0.02 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.31 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 60% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Lancaster ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 69th | 87th | 73rd |
| Wisconsin | 96th | 77th | 78th | 77th |
| Driftless Area | 89th | 95th | 64th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Lancaster: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fennimore 10 mi · Tennyson 11 mi · Potosi 11 mi · Mount Hope 11 mi · Bloomington 12 mi · Livingston 14 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 Lancaster (42.8474, -90.7064); 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.