city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Grand Rivers, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it ranks highest in summer (24th percentile) and lowest in spring (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.4 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grand Rivers?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Grand Rivers, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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 214 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi N, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 208 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 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 Grand Rivers
Mostly: Open water; 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) 0.09 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.36 mi NE.
How Grand Rivers ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 75th | 29th | 18th |
| Kentucky | 1st | 13th | 24th | 21st |
| Interior Plateau | 1st | 8th | 11th | 15th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Grand Rivers: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gilbertsville 4 mi · Kuttawa 8 mi · Calvert City 9 mi · Eddyville 10 mi · Benton 13 mi · Smithland 13 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 Grand Rivers (37.0072, -88.2353); 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.