city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Ellis, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.5 mi E); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.2 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Ellis?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ellis, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): 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
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 115 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 5 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 Ellis
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Fallow / idle cropland; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi SW.
How Ellis ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 73rd | 68th | 63rd |
| Kansas | 58th | 85th | 33rd | 68th |
| Central Great Plains | 72nd | 85th | 55th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 Ellis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ogallah 10 mi · Hays 13 mi · Munjor 18 mi · Catharine 18 mi · WaKeeney 18 mi · Schoenchen 20 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 Ellis (38.9347, -99.5568); 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.