town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Rosholt, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in South Dakota. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other South Dakota sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi NE).
When is the honey flow in Rosholt?
- 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 (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rosholt, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Soybeans: about 2,689 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3,593 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Rosholt
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.43 mi NW.
How Rosholt ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 41st | 93rd | 92nd |
| South Dakota | 80th | 79th | 75th | 78th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 40th | 78th | 36th | 43rd |
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 Rosholt: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
White Rock Colony 6 mi · White Rock 9 mi · New Effington 9 mi · Claire City 18 mi · Sisseton 21 mi · Long Hollow 24 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 Rosholt (45.8662, -96.7318); 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.