town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Grenville, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 48% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (51st percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grenville?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Grenville, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, 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
- Soybeans: about 423 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 365 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Grenville
Mostly: Open water; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.17 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.43 mi SE.
How Grenville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 31st | 83rd | 75th |
| South Dakota | 48th | 37th | 51st | 30th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 1st | 62nd | 3rd | 18th |
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 Grenville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Roslyn 5 mi · Enemy Swim 6 mi · Waubay 10 mi · Eden 10 mi · Webster 11 mi · Ortley 13 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 Grenville (45.467, -97.3902); 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.