city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Cathay, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (76th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cathay?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (soybeans, dry Beans, sunflower)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cathay, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, sunflower, dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red, sunflower; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dry Beans, dandelion; 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
- Soybeans: about 246 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Cathay
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi N.
How Cathay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 40th | 96th | 100th |
| North Dakota | 86th | 86th | 76th | 97th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 88th | 76th | 72nd | 98th |
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 Cathay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sykeston 6 mi · Fessenden 12 mi · Carrington 15 mi · Bowdon 15 mi · Hamberg 15 mi · New Rockford 15 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 Cathay (47.5539, -99.4113); 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.