city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Staples, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Staples?
- 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 early Aug (soybeans, dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Staples, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 330 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 94 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late 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 Staples
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N.
How Staples ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 49th | 83rd | 96th |
| Minnesota | 47th | 58th | 48th | 89th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 54th | 47th | 50th | 96th |
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 Staples: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Aldrich 6 mi · Motley 9 mi · Verndale 10 mi · Hewitt 14 mi · Bertha 14 mi · Wadena 16 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 Staples (46.3722, -94.815); 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.