city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Willow City, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Willow City?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (canola, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Willow City, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Canola: about 232 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 263 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Willow City
Mostly: Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Soybeans; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi N.
How Willow City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 50th | 89th | 97th |
| North Dakota | 45th | 94th | 39th | 53rd |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 16th | 89th | 11th | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Willow City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Overly 8 mi · Barton 9 mi · Gardena 11 mi · Bantry 17 mi · Bottineau 17 mi · Dunseith 18 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 Willow City (48.6047, -100.2933); 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.