city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Council Grove, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Council Grove?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Council Grove, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 960 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, 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 Council Grove
Mostly: Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Open water; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi NE; open water 0.15 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 51% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Council Grove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 88th | 77th | 74th |
| Kansas | 76th | 94th | 56th | 81st |
| Flint Hills | 83rd | 98th | 61st | 27th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Council Grove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dunlap 9 mi · Wilsey 10 mi · Parkerville 11 mi · Bushong 13 mi · Dwight 14 mi · Alta Vista 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 Council Grove (38.6631, -96.4918); 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.