city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Meade, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Meade?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Meade, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Sorghum: about 147 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early 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 Meade
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi SE.
How Meade ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 80th | 63rd | 59th |
| Kansas | 58th | 89th | 20th | 61st |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 98th | 97th | 94th | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Meade: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fowler 11 mi · Plains 14 mi · Kismet 20 mi · Minneola 21 mi · Montezuma 22 mi · Copeland 24 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 Meade (37.2836, -100.343); 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.