village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Rib Mountain, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 34% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rib Mountain?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rib Mountain, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Alfalfa: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Rib Mountain
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi E.
How Rib Mountain ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 69th | 71st | 60th |
| Wisconsin | 34th | 78th | 33rd | 43rd |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 24th | 85th | 19th | 17th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Rib Mountain: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Schofield 3 mi · Rothschild 4 mi · Wausau 5 mi · Weston 7 mi · Kronenwetter 7 mi · Mosinee 7 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 Rib Mountain (44.8972, -89.6839); 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.