town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Lesterville, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lesterville?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lesterville, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; 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
- Corn: about 1,484 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 650 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Lesterville
Mostly: Corn; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.32 mi SW.
How Lesterville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 58th | 91st | 62nd |
| South Dakota | 73rd | 96th | 67th | 16th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 28th | 94th | 21st | 9th |
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 Lesterville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Utica 6 mi · Jamesville Colony 7 mi · Tabor 7 mi · Scotland 10 mi · Maxwell Colony 10 mi · Bon Homme Colony 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 Lesterville (43.0386, -97.5906); 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.