community in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Menoken, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Menoken?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, sunflower)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Menoken, 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 18.
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): soybeans, sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dry Beans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Sunflower: about 94 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 121 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 379 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Menoken
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Dry Beans; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.2 mi SE.
How Menoken ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 38th | 88th | 96th |
| North Dakota | 36th | 83rd | 35th | 44th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 74th | 82nd | 71st | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Menoken: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Apple Valley 3 mi · Lincoln 8 mi · Bismarck 11 mi · Mandan 17 mi · Driscoll 18 mi · Harmon 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 Menoken (46.8144, -100.5305); 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.