community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Bath Corner, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bath Corner?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bath Corner, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 4,726 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3,894 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 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 Bath Corner
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi SE.
How Bath Corner ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 36th | 94th | 87th |
| South Dakota | 85th | 64th | 82nd | 55th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 52nd | 71st | 51st | 33rd |
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 Bath Corner: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bath 1 mi · Prairiewood Village 5 mi · Aberdeen 7 mi · Stratford 10 mi · Columbia 11 mi · Groton 11 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 Bath Corner (45.4627, -98.3329); 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.