city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Arkansas City, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Arkansas City?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Arkansas City, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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
- Soybeans: about 117 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 390 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Arkansas City
Mostly: Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.46 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.47 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 78% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Arkansas City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 95th | 71st | 57th |
| Kansas | 75th | 98th | 39th | 58th |
| Central Great Plains | 86th | 100th | 58th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Arkansas City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Parkerfield 2 mi · Geuda Springs 7 mi · Silverdale 8 mi · Winfield 12 mi · Oxford 16 mi · New Salem 19 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 Arkansas City (37.0742, -97.0385); 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.