city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Columbus, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Columbus?
- First forage: Apr 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (canola)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Columbus, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), sunflower; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 184 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late 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 Columbus
Mostly: Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi NE.
How Columbus ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 37th | 93rd | 93rd |
| North Dakota | 56th | 82nd | 57th | 23rd |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 34th | 72nd | 35th | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Columbus: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Larson 4 mi · Lignite 10 mi · Noonan 10 mi · Portal 12 mi · Flaxton 18 mi · McGregor 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 Columbus (48.905, -102.7812); 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.