city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Mentor, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mentor?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mentor, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 258 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Mentor
Mostly: Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow; Open water; Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi NE.
How Mentor ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 60th | 87th | 97th |
| Minnesota | 66th | 69th | 56th | 89th |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 32nd | 96th | 14th | 37th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Mentor: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Erskine 6 mi · Brooks 11 mi · McIntosh 13 mi · Fertile 13 mi · Winger 13 mi · Red Lake Falls 14 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 Mentor (47.6967, -96.144); 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.