city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Clay City, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (60th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clay City?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clay City, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 99 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 4 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 Clay City
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.12 mi SE; open water 0.12 mi SE.
How Clay City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 94th | 64th | 42nd |
| Kentucky | 69th | 91st | 60th | 73rd |
| Interior Plateau | 67th | 82nd | 60th | 78th |
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 Clay City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Stanton 4 mi · Jeffersonville 9 mi · Camargo 10 mi · Irvine 12 mi · Ravenna 12 mi · Mount Sterling 14 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 Clay City (37.8608, -83.9297); 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.