city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Onida, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Onida?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (sunflower)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Onida, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, soybeans; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 801 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early 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 Onida
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Corn; Sunflower.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.58 mi W.
How Onida ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 45th | 99th | 58th |
| South Dakota | 99th | 86th | 98th | 12th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 96th | 90th | 95th | 14th |
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 Onida: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Agar 9 mi · Blunt 14 mi · Harrold 20 mi · Oahe Acres 21 mi · Gettysburg 22 mi · Cow 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 Onida (44.7049, -100.0675); 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.