town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Buffalo Gap, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Buffalo Gap?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Buffalo Gap, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Alfalfa: about 160 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 46 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 Buffalo Gap
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi W.
How Buffalo Gap ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 49th | 67th | 88th |
| South Dakota | 42nd | 90th | 38th | 59th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 77th | 97th | 69th | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 71% 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 Buffalo Gap: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Oral 7 mi · Maverick Junction 7 mi · Hot Springs 9 mi · Angostura 13 mi · Smithwick 14 mi · Fairburn 14 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 Buffalo Gap (43.4922, -103.3153); 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.