city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Alton, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (71st percentile) and lowest in fall (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alton?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alton, 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 Apr 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 204 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 42 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Alton
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.21 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi NE.
How Alton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 55th | 84th | 55th |
| Kansas | 66th | 61st | 71st | 54th |
| Central Great Plains | 78th | 61st | 76th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Alton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Woodston 8 mi · Cedar 13 mi · Osborne 13 mi · Gaylord 13 mi · Portis 15 mi · Kirwin 17 mi
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 Alton (39.4678, -98.9486); 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.