community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Okreek, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 1.6 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Okreek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Okreek, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, sunflower; 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 74 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi SW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 95 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 58 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms early 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 Okreek
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi NW.
How Okreek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 46th | 64th | 89th |
| South Dakota | 39th | 87th | 36th | 64th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 73rd | 96th | 64th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Okreek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
White Horse 11 mi · Wood 11 mi · Antelope 12 mi · Mission 14 mi · New Witten 17 mi · Horse Creek 22 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 Okreek (43.3485, -100.3887); 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.