city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Ranier, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 18% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (66th percentile) and lowest in summer (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ranier?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ranier, 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, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi S, 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 Ranier
Mostly: Unmapped; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi NW.
How Ranier ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 57th | 65th | 63rd |
| Minnesota | 18th | 66th | 23rd | 43rd |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 35th | 28th | 50th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Ranier: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
International Falls 3 mi · Littlefork 17 mi · Big Falls 36 mi · Nett Lake 36 mi · Orr 45 mi · Effie 54 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 Ranier (48.6043, -93.3573); 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.