city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Solen, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 18% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW); canola (nearest 0.9 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Solen?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, 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 Solen, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; extra 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
- Corn: about 292 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 216 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Solen
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.05 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi NW.
How Solen ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 43rd | 77th | 89th |
| North Dakota | 18th | 90th | 17th | 15th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 84th | 94th | 82nd | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Solen: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cannon Ball 9 mi · Porcupine 18 mi · Flasher 21 mi · Fort Yates 22 mi · Raleigh 24 mi · Selfridge 25 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 Solen (46.3873, -100.7956); 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.