community in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Catharine, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in Kansas. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Kansas sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Catharine?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Catharine, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, sunflower, 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), sunflower, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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
- Sunflower: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 196 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 79 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 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 Catharine
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Fallow / idle cropland; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi E.
How Catharine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 55th | 76th | 55th |
| Kansas | 52nd | 60th | 54th | 54th |
| Central Great Plains | 66th | 60th | 66th | 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 Catharine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Victoria 6 mi · Hays 7 mi · Munjor 9 mi · Gorham 11 mi · Schoenchen 16 mi · Ellis 18 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 Catharine (38.9302, -99.2144); 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.