city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Onaga, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Onaga?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Onaga, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 114 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, 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 Onaga
Mostly: Central Tallgrass Prairie; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi S.
How Onaga ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 78th | 84th | 72nd |
| Kansas | 79th | 88th | 71st | 78th |
| Flint Hills | 86th | 91st | 76th | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Onaga: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Havensville 5 mi · Wheaton 8 mi · Soldier 11 mi · Corning 14 mi · Emmett 14 mi · Westmoreland 15 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 Onaga (39.4893, -96.1702); 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.