community in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Erie, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (75th percentile) and lowest in spring (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Erie?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Aug (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Erie, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, sunflower; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, dry Beans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower, dandelion; 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 5,005 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3,957 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, 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 Erie
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Northern Tallgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.41 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.41 mi N.
How Erie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 97th | 21st | 96th | 99th |
| North Dakota | 75th | 45th | 75th | 69th |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 82nd | 64th | 78th | 57th |
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 Erie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ayr 7 mi · Arthur 8 mi · Page 9 mi · Hunter 10 mi · Galesburg 11 mi · Amenia 11 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 Erie (47.1153, -97.3879); 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.