city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Eagle Butte, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Eagle Butte?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (sunflower, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Eagle Butte, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 64 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jul – late 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 Eagle Butte
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Other Hay/Non Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.23 mi NE.
How Eagle Butte ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 50th | 82nd | 81st |
| South Dakota | 53rd | 91st | 50th | 39th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 91st | 97th | 88th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Eagle Butte: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Eagle Butte 2 mi · Lantry 10 mi · Green Grass 12 mi · Dupree 18 mi · Whitehorse 25 mi · Isabel 29 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 Eagle Butte (44.9944, -101.2318); 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.