village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Rock Springs, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% 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 SW); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rock Springs?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rock Springs, 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 12.
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); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; 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 81 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SW, 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 Rock Springs
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi N.
How Rock Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 62nd | 83rd | 66th |
| Wisconsin | 67th | 64th | 61st | 58th |
| Driftless Area | 51st | 81st | 40th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Rock Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Freedom 4 mi · Reedsburg 5 mi · Loganville 6 mi · West Baraboo 8 mi · Baraboo 9 mi · Lake Delton 11 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 Rock Springs (43.4787, -89.9269); 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.