city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Gilbert, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 17% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gilbert?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gilbert, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi E, blooms early Jul – late 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 Gilbert
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Mesic Balsam Fir-Spruce Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.16 mi SE.
How Gilbert ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 57th | 65th | 61st |
| Minnesota | 17th | 67th | 22nd | 39th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 34th | 29th | 48th | 83rd |
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 Gilbert: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McKinley 3 mi · Virginia 4 mi · Eveleth 4 mi · Leonidas 5 mi · Biwabik 6 mi · Mountain Iron 8 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 Gilbert (47.4908, -92.4583); 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.