city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Wathena, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (85th percentile) and lowest in fall (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wathena?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wathena, 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 20.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 345 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 163 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, 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 Wathena
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.25 mi NE.
How Wathena ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 49th | 90th | 38th |
| Kansas | 78th | 45th | 85th | 33rd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 9th | 83rd | 13th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Wathena: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Elwood 2 mi · Troy 9 mi · Bendena 14 mi · Severance 17 mi · Atchison 18 mi · Denton 18 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 Wathena (39.7611, -94.9275); 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.