community in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Bavaria, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bavaria?
- 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 late Jun (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bavaria, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 79 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 93 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late 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 Bavaria
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi W.
How Bavaria ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 54th | 87th | 55th |
| Kansas | 72nd | 58th | 78th | 54th |
| Central Great Plains | 83rd | 58th | 80th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 35% 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 Bavaria: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Smolan 5 mi · Brookville 6 mi · Salina 8 mi · Falun 8 mi · Mentor 9 mi · Assaria 11 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 Bavaria (38.7955, -97.7548); 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.