city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Loretto, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in summer (83rd percentile) and lowest in spring and fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Loretto?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Loretto, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 121 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 180 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, 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 Loretto
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi S.
How Loretto ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 80th | 83rd | 17th |
| Kentucky | 78th | 19th | 83rd | 19th |
| Interior Plateau | 82nd | 15th | 90th | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Loretto: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. Mary 5 mi · Raywick 6 mi · New Hope 6 mi · Lebanon 9 mi · Springfield 10 mi · New Haven 11 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 Loretto (37.642, -85.3931); 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.