Honey bee forage in Parmelee, South Dakota

When is the honey flow in Parmelee?

• First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
• Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
• Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
• Season ends: Oct 31

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Parmelee, 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 9.

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), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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), alfalfa, 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, alfalfa; 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

• Sorghum: about 72 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
• Corn: about 280 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Alfalfa: about 389 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Dry beans: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Parmelee

Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi W.

How Parmelee ranks

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 74% 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.

Nearby

Soldier Creek 7 mi · Two Strike 11 mi · Norris 12 mi · Rosebud 13 mi · St. Francis 15 mi · Spring Creek 15 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 Parmelee (43.3337, -101.043); 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.