city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Reading, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Reading?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Reading, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 251 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 100 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms early Jun – 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 Reading
Mostly: Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi NE.
How Reading ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 72nd | 87th | 55th |
| Kansas | 82nd | 84th | 79th | 56th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 44th | 39th | 54th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Reading: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lebo 9 mi · Neosho Rapids 11 mi · Osage City 11 mi · Olivet 11 mi · Admire 11 mi · Hartford 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 Reading (38.5191, -95.9574); 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.