city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Karlstad, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.9 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Karlstad?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Karlstad, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 Karlstad
Mostly: Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh; Eastern Great Plains Tallgrass Aspen Forest and Woodland; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi N.
How Karlstad ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 66th | 80th | 95th |
| Minnesota | 52nd | 78th | 46th | 87th |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 13th | 98th | 4th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Karlstad: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Halma 7 mi · Strandquist 7 mi · Lake Bronson 13 mi · Strathcona 16 mi · Donaldson 17 mi · Greenbush 17 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 Karlstad (48.578, -96.5161); 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.