city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Sibley, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in fall (77th percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); buckwheat (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sibley?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sibley, 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): 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): soybeans, alfalfa, buckwheat, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, buckwheat, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), buckwheat, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 757 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Buckwheat: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Oct (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 Sibley
Mostly: Northern Tallgrass Prairie; Open water; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.12 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi E.
How Sibley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 30th | 85th | 99th |
| North Dakota | 30th | 64th | 28th | 77th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 4th | 60th | 4th | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Sibley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Luverne 3 mi · Pillsbury 8 mi · Dazey 11 mi · Hannaford 12 mi · Hope 14 mi · Rogers 15 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 Sibley (47.2186, -97.9653); 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.