community in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Lake City, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 13% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in fall (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (10th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake City?
- First forage: Feb 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake City, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, soybeans; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, native wildflowers; 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
- Sorghum: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 97 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms late May – 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 Lake City
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Western Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Western Great Plains Riparian Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi S.
How Lake City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 42nd | 54th | 57th | 63rd |
| Kansas | 13th | 58th | 10th | 67th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 81st | 56th | 89th | 28th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Lake City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sun City 5 mi · Coats 11 mi · Sawyer 13 mi · Medicine Lodge 14 mi · Isabel 17 mi · Cullison 19 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 Lake City (37.357, -98.8279); 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.