community in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Sandy Hook, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi W); soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sandy Hook?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sandy Hook, 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 6.
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): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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
- Corn: about 1,065 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 57 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Sandy Hook
Mostly: Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.28 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi SW.
How Sandy Hook ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 73rd | 78th | 62nd |
| Wisconsin | 63rd | 84th | 49th | 47th |
| Driftless Area | 45th | 98th | 22nd | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Sandy Hook: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kieler 3 mi · Dickeyville 6 mi · Hazel Green 9 mi · Cuba City 10 mi · Tennyson 11 mi · Potosi 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 Sandy Hook (42.5466, -90.6168); 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.