city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Pettibone, 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 (65th percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pettibone?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pettibone, 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): 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), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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; 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 648 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 482 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Pettibone
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.77 mi NW.
How Pettibone ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 30th | 88th | 98th |
| North Dakota | 37th | 65th | 37th | 58th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 75th | 64th | 73rd | 90th |
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 Pettibone: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Woodworth 10 mi · Robinson 12 mi · Tappen 18 mi · Medina 19 mi · Dawson 20 mi · Tuttle 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 Pettibone (47.1171, -99.5208); 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.