city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Big Falls, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 13% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Big Falls?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Falls, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 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 Big Falls
Mostly: Boreal-Laurentian Conifer Acidic Swamp and Treed Poor Fen; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi W.
How Big Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 41st | 58th | 56th | 51st |
| Minnesota | 13th | 67th | 11th | 28th |
| Northern Minnesota Wetlands | 48th | 65th | 45th | 49th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Big Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Littlefork 19 mi · Effie 25 mi · Mizpah 26 mi · Northome 30 mi · Bigfork 31 mi · Kelliher 33 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 Big Falls (48.1796, -93.8092); 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.