city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Chanute, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chanute?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chanute, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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 779 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi NE, blooms late May – 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 Chanute
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.11 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.42 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 80% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Chanute ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 95th | 80th | 45th |
| Kansas | 85th | 98th | 64th | 42nd |
| Central Irregular Plains | 53rd | 87th | 29th | 63rd |
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 Chanute: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Earlton 6 mi · Urbana 8 mi · Humboldt 10 mi · Thayer 13 mi · Buffalo 13 mi · Erie 14 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 Chanute (37.6697, -95.4642); 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.