community in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Ogallah, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (70th percentile) and lowest in summer (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ogallah?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ogallah, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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), dandelion, 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), garden flowers; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 1,360 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, 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 Ogallah
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Sorghum; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi SW.
How Ogallah ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 60th | 67th | 59th |
| Kansas | 43rd | 70th | 29th | 60th |
| Central Great Plains | 56th | 70th | 53rd | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Ogallah: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
WaKeeney 8 mi · Ellis 10 mi · Palco 20 mi · Collyer 21 mi · Zurich 23 mi · Hays 23 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 Ogallah (38.9946, -99.7326); 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.