city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Plaza, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Plaza?
- First forage: May 16 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jul (canola)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Plaza, 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): canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): canola, soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, 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
- Canola: about 3,410 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 254 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Plaza
Mostly: Spring Wheat; Canola; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.5 mi N.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 42% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Plaza ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 100th | 27th | 100th | 87th |
| North Dakota | 97th | 59th | 97th | 12th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 100th | 53rd | 99th | 57th |
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 Plaza: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Makoti 8 mi · Parshall 9 mi · Ryder 15 mi · Berthold 22 mi · Douglas 24 mi · Des Lacs 24 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 Plaza (48.0263, -101.9587); 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.