town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Artas, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Artas?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Artas, 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 18.
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): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, 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
- Soybeans: about 944 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 523 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 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 Artas
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Corn; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi E.
How Artas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 35th | 90th | 97th |
| South Dakota | 65th | 56th | 63rd | 98th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 79th | 77th | 76th | 86th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 42% 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 Artas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Eureka 12 mi · Herreid 13 mi · Mound City 17 mi · Hillsview 20 mi · Pollock 23 mi · Hosmer 27 mi
All towns in South 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 Artas (45.8872, -99.8068); 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.