city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Two Harbors, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (65th percentile) and lowest in summer (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Two Harbors?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Two Harbors, 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 Jun 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), garden flowers; 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms early Aug – 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 Two Harbors
Mostly: Open water; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Mesic Balsam Fir-Spruce Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi NE; open water 0.43 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 67% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Two Harbors ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 53rd | 77th | 77th |
| Minnesota | 29th | 61st | 41st | 65th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 63rd | 21st | 92nd | 96th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Two Harbors: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Knife River 8 mi · Rice Lake 23 mi · Beaver Bay 23 mi · Silver Bay 26 mi · Duluth 28 mi · Hermantown 31 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 Two Harbors (47.03, -91.6757); 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.