city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Dupree, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in fall (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi E); corn (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dupree?
- 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 (sunflower, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dupree, 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 15.
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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, 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 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 94 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 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 Dupree
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi N.
How Dupree ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 48th | 88th | 81st |
| South Dakota | 61st | 89th | 59th | 39th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 95th | 97th | 94th | 20th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Dupree: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lantry 8 mi · Green Grass 17 mi · North Eagle Butte 18 mi · Eagle Butte 18 mi · Faith 21 mi · Isabel 25 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 Dupree (45.0495, -101.6013); 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.