city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Sylvia, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sylvia?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sylvia, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 204 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 164 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 91 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 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 Sylvia
Mostly: Western Great Plains Sand Prairie; Western Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.5 mi SE.
How Sylvia ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 62nd | 68th | 58th |
| Kansas | 49th | 75th | 33rd | 59th |
| Central Great Plains | 62nd | 74th | 55th | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Sylvia: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Plevna 5 mi · Langdon 9 mi · Stafford 10 mi · Turon 11 mi · Abbyville 11 mi · Arlington 13 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 Sylvia (37.9589, -98.4087); 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.