community in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Piedmont, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Piedmont?
- First forage: Feb 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Piedmont, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; 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 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 4 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 Piedmont
Mostly: Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.04 mi S.
How Piedmont ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 76th | 62nd | 86th |
| Kansas | 60th | 86th | 18th | 93rd |
| Flint Hills | 44th | 90th | 31st | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Piedmont: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Severy 8 mi · Beaumont 9 mi · Climax 11 mi · Howard 12 mi · Eureka 15 mi · Latham 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 Piedmont (37.6153, -96.3793); 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.