city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Hays, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.9 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hays?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hays, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, 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
- 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, garden flowers, 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
- Sorghum: about 58 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Hays
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Developed, medium intensity; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.25 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 98% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Hays ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 76th | 65th | 59th |
| Kansas | 56th | 86th | 25th | 60th |
| Central Great Plains | 70th | 87th | 51st | 62nd |
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 Hays: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Munjor 6 mi · Catharine 7 mi · Victoria 10 mi · Schoenchen 12 mi · Ellis 13 mi · Liebenthal 16 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 Hays (38.8822, -99.322); 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.