city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Gettysburg, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gettysburg?
- 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, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gettysburg, 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 16.
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, soybeans; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, sunflower, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 364 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 707 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Gettysburg
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi S.
How Gettysburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 44th | 96th | 83rd |
| South Dakota | 97th | 84th | 90th | 45th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 94th | 89th | 92nd | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Gettysburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lebanon 10 mi · Agar 13 mi · Hoven 18 mi · Swift Bird 20 mi · Lowry 21 mi · Onida 22 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 Gettysburg (45.006, -99.9539); 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.