city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Oswego, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oswego?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oswego, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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, 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 750 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late May – 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 Oswego
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain Forest; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.29 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 52% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Oswego ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 97th | 82nd | 30th |
| Kansas | 92nd | 100th | 68th | 25th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 76th | 94th | 35th | 37th |
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 Oswego: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Labette 6 mi · Hallowell 6 mi · Chetopa 9 mi · Bartlett 10 mi · Altamont 10 mi · West Mineral 13 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 Oswego (37.1676, -95.1121); 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.