city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Mercer, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mercer?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (canola, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mercer, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): canola, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Soybeans: about 207 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 2 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 Mercer
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi E.
How Mercer ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 44th | 90th | 95th |
| North Dakota | 46th | 91st | 44th | 35th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 82nd | 89th | 77th | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Mercer: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Turtle Lake 9 mi · McClusky 13 mi · Washburn 20 mi · Underwood 20 mi · Denhoff 21 mi · Wilton 23 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 Mercer (47.4906, -100.7111); 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.