city in Minnesota

Honey bee forage in Richville, Minnesota

Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Richville?

  • 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, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Season ends: Oct 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Richville, 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 20.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): 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
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra 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 164 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, 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 Richville

Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi W.

How Richville ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US76th50th83rd89th
Minnesota44th58th48th80th
North Central Hardwood Forests48th48th51st85th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 55% 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 Richville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Dent 5 mi · Ottertail 6 mi · Perham 7 mi · New York Mills 12 mi · Vergas 13 mi · Henning 15 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 Richville (46.5059, -95.6259); 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.