city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Portis, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in spring (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Portis?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Portis, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Sorghum: about 323 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 123 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 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 Portis
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.17 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi N.
How Portis ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 48th | 88th | 49th |
| Kansas | 73rd | 41st | 82nd | 46th |
| Central Great Plains | 85th | 46th | 83rd | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Portis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Osborne 9 mi · Downs 9 mi · Gaylord 10 mi · Cawker City 14 mi · Cedar 15 mi · Alton 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 Portis (39.5637, -98.6916); 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.