community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Bridger, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 2.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bridger?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bridger, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers; 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
- Sunflower: about 280 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early 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 Bridger
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Woodland; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi NE.
How Bridger ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 42nd | 51st | 55th | 81st |
| South Dakota | 33rd | 92nd | 20th | 40th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 65th | 98th | 42nd | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Bridger: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cherry Creek 21 mi · Faith 34 mi · Philip 37 mi · Dupree 38 mi · Cottonwood 40 mi · Quinn 40 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 Bridger (44.5421, -101.9136); 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.