city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Osage City, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Osage City?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Osage City, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
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 931 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Osage City
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.21 mi E; open water 0.23 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 57% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Osage City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 89th | 89th | 48th |
| Kansas | 96th | 94th | 84th | 46th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 86th | 76th | 64th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 35% 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 Osage City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lyndon 8 mi · Burlingame 8 mi · Scranton 11 mi · Reading 11 mi · Olivet 11 mi · Vassar 11 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 Osage City (38.6341, -95.821); 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.