city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Elkhart, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Elkhart?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Elkhart, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Corn: about 2,127 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 2 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 Elkhart
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Corn; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 53% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Elkhart ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 85th | 70th | 58th |
| Kansas | 66th | 92nd | 37th | 59th |
| High Plains | 94th | 99th | 62nd | 49th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Elkhart: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rolla 16 mi · Richfield 19 mi · Hugoton 33 mi · Manter 36 mi · Johnson City 40 mi · Big Bow 43 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 Elkhart (37.0038, -101.8944); 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.