city in Minnesota

Honey bee forage in Boyd, Minnesota

Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE).

When is the honey flow in Boyd?

  • First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Boyd, 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 14.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
  • Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 12,783 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 9,009 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Alfalfa: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – 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 Boyd

Mostly: Soybeans; Corn.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi N.

How Boyd ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US96th23rd97th68th
Minnesota98th30th95th52nd
Western Corn Belt Plains94th54th74th91st

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 Boyd: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Clarkfield 6 mi · Dawson 9 mi · Montevideo 11 mi · Hazel Run 11 mi · St. Leo 12 mi · Watson 12 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 Boyd (44.8512, -95.9009); 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.