city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Ellinwood, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ellinwood?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ellinwood, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; 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
- Sorghum: about 761 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 74 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 46 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Ellinwood
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Rye.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.28 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi SW.
How Ellinwood ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 70th | 78th | 32nd |
| Kansas | 64th | 83rd | 60th | 27th |
| Central Great Plains | 77th | 82nd | 69th | 32nd |
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 Ellinwood: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Raymond 11 mi · Great Bend 12 mi · Claflin 12 mi · Chase 13 mi · Bushton 15 mi · Odin 15 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 Ellinwood (38.3573, -98.5838); 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.