city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Drakesboro, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.8 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Drakesboro?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Drakesboro, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi E, blooms late May – 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 Drakesboro
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi E.
How Drakesboro ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 96th | 39th | 32nd |
| Kentucky | 56th | 96th | 37th | 45th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 10th | 99th | 2nd | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Drakesboro: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cleaton 3 mi · Beechmont 3 mi · Powderly 6 mi · Central City 7 mi · Greenville 7 mi · Rochester 9 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 Drakesboro (37.2173, -87.0499); 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.