city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Medina, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Medina?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Medina, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra 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
- Soybeans: about 173 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 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 Medina
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.37 mi N.
How Medina ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 42nd | 87th | 98th |
| North Dakota | 37th | 89th | 33rd | 63rd |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 75th | 87th | 69th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 Medina: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cleveland 9 mi · Tappen 16 mi · Streeter 17 mi · Woodworth 17 mi · Pettibone 19 mi · Gackle 20 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 Medina (46.8938, -99.2999); 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.