city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Oakley, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oakley?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oakley, 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, 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; extra 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; 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, 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
- Corn: about 2,172 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 56 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 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 Oakley
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.42 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.47 mi SW.
How Oakley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 61st | 73rd | 61st |
| Kansas | 52nd | 72nd | 45th | 64th |
| High Plains | 84th | 85th | 69th | 53rd |
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 Oakley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Monument 9 mi · Grinnell 11 mi · Menlo 17 mi · Grainfield 20 mi · Colby 21 mi · Gem 21 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 Oakley (39.1235, -100.8452); 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.