city in Kentucky

Honey bee forage in Bardwell, Kentucky

Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); rapeseed (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Bardwell?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bardwell, 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 6.

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); amber
  • 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

  • Soybeans: about 4,429 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 3,263 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early 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 Bardwell

Mostly: East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.31 mi NW.

How Bardwell ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US96th89th90th10th
Kentucky98th62nd91st11th
Mississippi Valley Loess Plains90th65th86th42nd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 31% 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 Bardwell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Blandville 5 mi · Arlington 6 mi · Cunningham 7 mi · Wickliffe 7 mi · Columbus 10 mi · Lovelaceville 12 mi

All towns in Kentucky · National map · How the scoring works

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 Bardwell (36.8754, -89.0089); 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.