community in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Auburn, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in fall (79th percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: dry beans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Auburn?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (dry Beans, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Auburn, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): dry Beans, soybeans, sunflower; water white, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, soybeans; water white
- Whole season (March to November): dry Beans, soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, 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
- Dry beans: about 611 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NE, 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 Auburn
Mostly: Spring Wheat; Dry Beans; Sugarbeets.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 1.8 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 2.5 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 62% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
- No mapped water within a mile. Plan to provide water. Small ponds, ditches, troughs and pools don't show on these maps.
How Auburn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 12th | 80th | 99th |
| North Dakota | 19th | 28th | 20th | 79th |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 2nd | 50th | 4th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Auburn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nash 4 mi · Grafton 7 mi · St. Thomas 8 mi · Hoople 9 mi · Crystal 12 mi · Drayton 12 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 Auburn (48.5066, -97.4368); 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.