city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Steele, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Steele?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Steele, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, canola; 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
- Soybeans: about 3,209 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 232 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 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 Steele
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.51 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.7 mi SW.
How Steele ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 48th | 91st | 97th |
| North Dakota | 53rd | 93rd | 45th | 55th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 84th | 92nd | 78th | 89th |
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 Steele: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dawson 8 mi · Driscoll 11 mi · Tappen 14 mi · Tuttle 20 mi · Robinson 21 mi · Braddock 22 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 Steele (46.8568, -99.9181); 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.