city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Osawatomie, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Osawatomie?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Osawatomie, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, 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 404 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 5 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 Osawatomie
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.36 mi N; open water 0.36 mi N.
How Osawatomie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 94th | 82nd | 48th |
| Kansas | 85th | 97th | 68th | 45th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 55th | 84th | 34th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Osawatomie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Paola 7 mi · Fontana 8 mi · Lane 8 mi · Rantoul 9 mi · Somerset 12 mi · Parker 12 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 Osawatomie (38.4999, -94.9459); 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.