community in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Raleigh, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 20% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Raleigh?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Raleigh, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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 63 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 198 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 261 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, 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 Raleigh
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SW.
How Raleigh ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 38th | 79th | 95th |
| North Dakota | 20th | 84th | 19th | 39th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 87th | 87th | 85th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Raleigh: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Flasher 7 mi · Carson 13 mi · Porcupine 14 mi · Leith 16 mi · Heil 19 mi · Solen 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 Raleigh (46.3571, -101.3054); 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.