city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Bowman, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 1.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bowman?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, sunflower)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bowman, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, sunflower, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, sunflower; 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
- Canola: about 108 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 121 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Bowman
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.31 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.65 mi S.
How Bowman ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 49th | 84th | 96th |
| North Dakota | 31st | 94th | 25th | 44th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 93rd | 97th | 90th | 91st |
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 Bowman: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rhame 13 mi · Scranton 13 mi · Gascoyne 16 mi · Amidon 21 mi · Reeder 23 mi · Marmarth 27 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 Bowman (46.1843, -103.4029); 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.