city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Protection, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Protection?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Protection, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Sorghum: about 237 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 353 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Protection
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Western Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.51 mi NE.
How Protection ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 74th | 64th | 59th |
| Kansas | 55th | 85th | 23rd | 61st |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 97th | 92nd | 95th | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Protection: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Coldwater 10 mi · Ashland 16 mi · Wilmore 18 mi · Bucklin 25 mi · Mullinville 27 mi · Greensburg 30 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 Protection (37.2004, -99.4808); 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.