city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Hot Springs, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hot Springs?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hot Springs, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), snowberry; 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
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Hot Springs
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N.
How Hot Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 47th | 58th | 74th |
| South Dakota | 31st | 88th | 28th | 29th |
| Middle Rockies | 73rd | 98th | 36th | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Hot Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Maverick Junction 4 mi · Angostura 8 mi · Buffalo Gap 9 mi · Oral 10 mi · Pringle 15 mi · Smithwick 15 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 Hot Springs (43.4195, -103.4651); 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.