community in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Apple Valley, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Apple Valley?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Aug (sunflower, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Apple Valley, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dry Beans; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dry Beans, sunflower, soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 133 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 332 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 306 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 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 Apple Valley
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Dry Beans; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.15 mi S.
How Apple Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 44th | 89th | 98th |
| North Dakota | 43rd | 92nd | 39th | 57th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 80th | 90th | 74th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Apple Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Menoken 3 mi · Lincoln 6 mi · Bismarck 8 mi · Mandan 14 mi · Harmon 19 mi · Driscoll 22 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 Apple Valley (46.821, -100.5995); 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.