city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Somerset, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Somerset?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Somerset, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; 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; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; 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 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms late May – late 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 Somerset
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.88 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 89% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Somerset ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 95th | 64th | 43rd |
| Kentucky | 70th | 93rd | 61st | 78th |
| Interior Plateau | 68th | 86th | 61st | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Somerset: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ferguson 2 mi · Burnside 6 mi · Science Hill 6 mi · Eubank 14 mi · Monticello 22 mi · Mount Vernon 24 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 Somerset (37.0865, -84.6054); 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.