community in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Elk Creek, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Elk Creek?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Elk Creek, 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, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 326 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 156 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 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 Elk Creek
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi N.
How Elk Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 89th | 83rd | 31st |
| Kentucky | 85th | 61st | 82nd | 44th |
| Interior Plateau | 91st | 52nd | 89th | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Elk Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Taylorsville 6 mi · Simpsonville 7 mi · Shelbyville 10 mi · Mount Washington 11 mi · Middletown 12 mi · Woodland Hills 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 Elk Creek (38.1152, -85.3716); 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.