city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Tappen, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: buckwheat (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tappen?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (buckwheat, soybeans, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (buckwheat, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tappen, 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, buckwheat, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): buckwheat, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, soybeans; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): buckwheat, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, alfalfa; 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
- Buckwheat: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Oct (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 272 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 50 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 98 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Tappen
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Oats.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.14 mi S.
How Tappen ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 39th | 84th | 99th |
| North Dakota | 33rd | 86th | 26th | 84th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 70th | 84th | 62nd | 96th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Tappen: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dawson 6 mi · Steele 14 mi · Medina 16 mi · Pettibone 18 mi · Streeter 20 mi · Robinson 20 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 Tappen (46.8716, -99.6271); 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.