community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in North Spearfish, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.6 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in North Spearfish?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of North Spearfish, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa; extra 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 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, 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 North Spearfish
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi NW.
How North Spearfish ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 59th | 77th | 95th |
| South Dakota | 52nd | 97th | 45th | 91st |
| Middle Rockies | 95th | 99th | 88th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Spearfish: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mountain Plains 4 mi · Spearfish 5 mi · St. Onge 9 mi · Belle Fourche 11 mi · Central City 12 mi · Deadwood 12 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 Spearfish (44.5107, -103.9045); 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.