community in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Cannon Ball, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (71st percentile) and lowest in summer (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cannon Ball?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cannon Ball, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), canola, native wildflowers; 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 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Cannon Ball
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi E.
How Cannon Ball ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 33rd | 78th | 91st |
| North Dakota | 16th | 71st | 17th | 18th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 81st | 67th | 82nd | 59th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 80% 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 Cannon Ball: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Solen 9 mi · Fort Yates 16 mi · Linton 19 mi · Hazelton 20 mi · Porcupine 24 mi · Selfridge 24 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 Cannon Ball (46.3237, -100.6294); 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.