city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Carbondale, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Carbondale?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Carbondale, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 468 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 324 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 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 Carbondale
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
How Carbondale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 84th | 88th | 44th |
| Kansas | 90th | 91st | 80th | 40th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 68th | 65th | 57th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 49% 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 Carbondale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Scranton 4 mi · Wakarusa 5 mi · Overbrook 8 mi · Auburn 9 mi · Burlingame 9 mi · Vassar 13 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 Carbondale (38.8219, -95.6932); 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.