city in Kansas

Honey bee forage in Galva, Kansas

Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Galva?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Galva, 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): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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

  • Soybeans: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 97 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Sorghum: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 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 Galva

Mostly: Winter Wheat; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Soybeans.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi SE.

Things to watch

  • Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 37% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).

How Galva ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US83rd51st89th21st
Kansas75th50th84th16th
Central Great Plains86th52nd83rd24th

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 Galva: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Canton 6 mi · McPherson 7 mi · Elyria 8 mi · Moundridge 13 mi · Lehigh 13 mi · Roxbury 13 mi

All towns in Kansas · National map · How the scoring works

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 Galva (38.3836, -97.5381); 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.