city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Selfridge, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Selfridge?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (sunflower, soybeans, canola)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Selfridge, 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): canola, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, soybeans, canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, soybeans, canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 187 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 189 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, 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 Selfridge
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.41 mi NW.
How Selfridge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 36th | 94th | 93rd |
| North Dakota | 63rd | 81st | 64th | 24th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 98th | 82nd | 98th | 71st |
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 Selfridge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fort Yates 14 mi · Porcupine 15 mi · Cannon Ball 24 mi · Solen 25 mi · Raleigh 28 mi · Flasher 32 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 Selfridge (46.0417, -100.9244); 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.