city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Kirwin, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in Kansas. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Kansas sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kirwin?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kirwin, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 115 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 154 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Kirwin
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Open water; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.39 mi S.
How Kirwin ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 53rd | 77th | 56th |
| Kansas | 52nd | 56th | 56th | 56th |
| Central Great Plains | 66th | 57th | 67th | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Kirwin: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Agra 6 mi · Kensington 8 mi · Cedar 10 mi · Glade 10 mi · Phillipsburg 12 mi · Athol 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 Kirwin (39.6698, -99.1218); 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.