city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Great Bend, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Great Bend?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Great Bend, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, garden flowers, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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): 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
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 853 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 176 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi W, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 406 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 471 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – late 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 Great Bend
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Corn; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.26 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 70% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Great Bend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 74th | 73rd | 49th |
| Kansas | 60th | 85th | 44th | 47th |
| Central Great Plains | 74th | 86th | 61st | 48th |
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 Great Bend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hoisington 11 mi · Ellinwood 12 mi · Pawnee Rock 12 mi · Seward 13 mi · Olmitz 13 mi · Albert 13 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 Great Bend (38.3598, -98.7995); 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.