city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Clay Center, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clay Center?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clay Center, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, black locust; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 3,912 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,385 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Clay Center
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 67% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Clay Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 82nd | 89th | 53rd |
| Kansas | 92nd | 90th | 83rd | 52nd |
| Central Great Plains | 96th | 94th | 83rd | 53rd |
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 Clay Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Morganville 7 mi · Idana 8 mi · Green 8 mi · Bala 11 mi · Wakefield 13 mi · Leonardville 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 Clay Center (39.3812, -97.1274); 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.