village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in fall (77th percentile) and lowest in spring (51st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in St. Cloud?
- 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 St. Cloud, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Corn: about 866 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 204 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 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 St. Cloud
Mostly: North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Acidic Peatland Woodland; North-Central Interior Wet Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi S.
How St. Cloud ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 57th | 84th | 73rd |
| Wisconsin | 67th | 51st | 64th | 77th |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | 25th | 74th | 26th | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 St. Cloud: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mount Calvary 3 mi · Greenbush 5 mi · Glenbeulah 6 mi · Elkhart Lake 8 mi · St. Peter 9 mi · New Holstein 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 St. Cloud (43.8224, -88.1717); 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.