village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Ontario, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (74th percentile) and lowest in summer (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ontario?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ontario, 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 13.
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); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Soybeans: about 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms early Jul – early 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 Ontario
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 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi W.
How Ontario ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 67th | 76th | 72nd |
| Wisconsin | 49th | 74th | 44th | 73rd |
| Driftless Area | 28th | 93rd | 15th | 86th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Ontario: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wilton 7 mi · Norwalk 8 mi · Cashton 10 mi · La Farge 10 mi · Melvina 11 mi · Kendall 12 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 Ontario (43.7219, -90.5932); 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.