community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in North Eagle Butte, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (53rd percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in North Eagle Butte?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (sunflower, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of North Eagle Butte, 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 14.
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): sunflower, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Sunflower: about 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 143 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms late Jul – early 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 North Eagle Butte
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Other Hay/Non Alfalfa; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi NE.
How North Eagle Butte ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 34th | 85th | 76th |
| South Dakota | 51st | 53rd | 52nd | 31st |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 89th | 75th | 91st | 13th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 North Eagle Butte: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Eagle Butte 2 mi · Green Grass 10 mi · Lantry 10 mi · Dupree 18 mi · Whitehorse 24 mi · Isabel 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 North Eagle Butte (45.0215, -101.2309); 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.