community in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Monument, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring and summer (52nd percentile) and lowest in fall (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.9 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Monument?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Monument, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light 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; 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 5,261 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 688 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late 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 Monument
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Fallow / idle cropland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.87 mi SW; open water 1.48 mi W.
How Monument ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 52nd | 76th | 34th |
| Kansas | 46th | 52nd | 52nd | 29th |
| High Plains | 76th | 64th | 76th | 27th |
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 Monument: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Oakley 9 mi · Winona 13 mi · Russell Springs 16 mi · Colby 19 mi · Grinnell 20 mi · Levant 22 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 Monument (39.105, -101.0081); 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.