city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Speed, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 57% of sites in Kansas. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Kansas sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Speed?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Speed, 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), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, soybeans, 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); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans; 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 168 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Speed
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Corn; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.31 mi W.
How Speed ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 57th | 78th | 60th |
| Kansas | 57th | 66th | 58th | 62nd |
| Central Great Plains | 72nd | 66th | 68th | 64th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Speed: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Glade 6 mi · Phillipsburg 7 mi · Logan 8 mi · Stuttgart 9 mi · Prairie View 13 mi · Kirwin 16 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 Speed (39.6763, -99.421); 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.