city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Sparta, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.1 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sparta?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sparta, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 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 Sparta
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.14 mi S; open water 0.16 mi S.
How Sparta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 93rd | 64th | 43rd |
| Kentucky | 64th | 80th | 61st | 78th |
| Interior Plateau | 59th | 68th | 61st | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Sparta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sanders 4 mi · Glencoe 5 mi · Warsaw 6 mi · Ghent 9 mi · Worthville 10 mi · Owenton 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 Sparta (38.6954, -84.9061); 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.