city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Wishek, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wishek?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wishek, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra 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 154 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 391 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Wishek
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.48 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.5 mi S.
How Wishek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 43rd | 82nd | 95th |
| North Dakota | 26th | 90th | 23rd | 40th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 63rd | 88th | 57th | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Wishek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lehr 10 mi · Ashley 18 mi · Venturia 18 mi · Napoleon 20 mi · Fredonia 22 mi · Zeeland 24 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 Wishek (46.2556, -99.5545); 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.