city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Bertha, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in spring and summer (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Bertha?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bertha, 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 May 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 61 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Bertha
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Freshwater Marsh; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi SW.
How Bertha ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 47th | 87th | 97th |
| Minnesota | 59th | 55th | 55th | 91st |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 81st | 43rd | 72nd | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Bertha: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hewitt 4 mi · Eagle Bend 7 mi · Verndale 9 mi · Aldrich 9 mi · Clarissa 11 mi · Wadena 13 mi
All towns in Minnesota · 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 Bertha (46.2671, -95.0618); 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.