city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Russell Springs, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.0 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Russell Springs?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Russell Springs, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, dandelion; 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 3,296 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Russell Springs
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi SE.
How Russell Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 59th | 61st | 74th |
| Kansas | 38th | 70th | 16th | 81st |
| Central Great Plains | 50th | 69th | 45th | 86th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Russell Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Winona 11 mi · Monument 16 mi · Wallace 22 mi · Oakley 23 mi · Marienthal 29 mi · Sharon Springs 31 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 Russell Springs (38.9128, -101.1757); 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.