village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Merrillan, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 9% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it ranks highest in fall (48th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.5 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Merrillan?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Merrillan, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 341 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 823 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Merrillan
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Pine-(Oak) Forest; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi E.
How Merrillan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 51st | 62nd | 62nd |
| Wisconsin | 9th | 38th | 16th | 48th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 5th | 51st | 9th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Merrillan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alma Center 4 mi · Hatfield 5 mi · Humbird 6 mi · Mission 8 mi · Sand Pillow 9 mi · Hixton 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 Merrillan (44.4506, -90.8345); 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.