city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Alexander, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 20% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (10th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alexander?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alexander, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, sunflower, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, sunflower; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower, 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
- Sunflower: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 Alexander
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Durum Wheat; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.07 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 37% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Alexander ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 40th | 80th | 84th |
| North Dakota | 20th | 86th | 20th | 10th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 87th | 90th | 86th | 31st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Alexander: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arnegard 10 mi · Watford City 18 mi · East Fairview 18 mi · Trenton 18 mi · Williston 24 mi · Long Creek 26 mi
All towns in North Dakota · 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 Alexander (47.8381, -103.6432); 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.