city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Crosby, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Crosby?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Crosby, 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi S, 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 Crosby
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi NE.
How Crosby ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 68th | 66th | 58th |
| Minnesota | 25th | 83rd | 24th | 36th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 52nd | 52nd | 54th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Crosby: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cuyuna 2 mi · Ironton 3 mi · Deerwood 3 mi · Trommald 3 mi · Riverton 6 mi · Merrifield 11 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 Crosby (46.4933, -93.9457); 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.