town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Isabel, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Isabel?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Isabel, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), sunflower, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Sunflower: about 40 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 90 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, 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 Isabel
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi NW.
How Isabel ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 44th | 69th | 90th |
| South Dakota | 42nd | 84th | 39th | 69th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 77th | 95th | 72nd | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Isabel: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Timber Lake 18 mi · Green Grass 18 mi · Dupree 25 mi · Lantry 26 mi · Whitehorse 27 mi · North Eagle Butte 28 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 Isabel (45.3937, -101.4315); 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.