village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Nelsonville, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in fall (82nd percentile) and lowest in spring (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Nelsonville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Nelsonville, 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 754 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 130 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 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 Nelsonville
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi W.
How Nelsonville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 40th | 83rd | 77th |
| Wisconsin | 43rd | 19th | 60th | 82nd |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 30th | 27th | 51st | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Nelsonville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Amherst Junction 2 mi · Amherst 3 mi · Scandinavia 8 mi · Polonia 8 mi · Iola 9 mi · Rosholt 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 Nelsonville (44.4902, -89.3035); 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.