town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Bison, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bison?
- 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 (sunflower, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bison, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Sunflower: about 64 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 106 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late Jun – 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 Bison
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.55 mi SW.
How Bison ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 48th | 86th | 97th |
| South Dakota | 59th | 89th | 54th | 98th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 95th | 97th | 92nd | 94th |
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 Bison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Prairie City 17 mi · Lemmon 32 mi · Faith 40 mi · Morristown 46 mi · Isabel 51 mi · Buffalo 52 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 Bison (45.5236, -102.4677); 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.