Honey bee forage in Long Creek, North Dakota

When is the honey flow in Long Creek?

• First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
• Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion)
• Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 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 Long Creek, 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, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
• Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
• Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
• Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months

Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.

Bee crops within flight range

• Alfalfa: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
• Corn: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Canola: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Clover and wildflowers: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi S, blooms late May – early Oct (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Lentils: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Long Creek

Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Woodland.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.2 mi S.

How Long Creek ranks

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 50% 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.

Nearby

Epping 13 mi · Springbrook 14 mi · Ray 17 mi · Williston 19 mi · Watford City 21 mi · Arnegard 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 Long Creek (48.101, -103.2546); 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.