city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Howard, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Howard?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Howard, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, 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
- Soybeans: about 230 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 103 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jun – early 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 Howard
Mostly: Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.21 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi NE.
How Howard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 95th | 82nd | 61st |
| Kansas | 89th | 98th | 68th | 64th |
| Flint Hills | 95th | 100th | 73rd | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Howard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Moline 8 mi · Elk Falls 8 mi · Severy 11 mi · Longton 12 mi · Piedmont 12 mi · Grenola 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 Howard (37.4694, -96.263); 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.