city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Bison, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in summer (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bison?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bison, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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
- Sorghum: about 228 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 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 Bison
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Winter Wheat; Sorghum.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi SW.
How Bison ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 63rd | 69th | 46th |
| Kansas | 49th | 76th | 34th | 43rd |
| Central Great Plains | 61st | 74th | 56th | 45th |
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 Bison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Timken 3 mi · La Crosse 6 mi · Rush Center 7 mi · Otis 8 mi · Albert 11 mi · Liebenthal 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 Bison (38.5199, -99.1979); 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.