city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Menlo, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (61st percentile) and lowest in fall (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Menlo?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Menlo, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; 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
- Corn: about 20,278 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 165 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 88 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late 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 Menlo
Mostly: Corn; Winter Wheat; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; open water 0.34 mi E.
How Menlo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 56th | 42nd | 79th | 28th |
| Kansas | 47th | 25th | 61st | 23rd |
| High Plains | 78th | 36th | 85th | 22nd |
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 Menlo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rexford 8 mi · Gem 10 mi · Hoxie 15 mi · Selden 15 mi · Grinnell 17 mi · Colby 17 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 Menlo (39.3561, -100.7242); 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.