city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Sturgis, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 2.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sturgis?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sturgis, 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 14.
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): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – 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 Sturgis
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.29 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi W.
How Sturgis ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 53rd | 68th | 83rd |
| South Dakota | 44th | 93rd | 39th | 44th |
| Middle Rockies | 88th | 98th | 63rd | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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 Sturgis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Blucksberg Mountain 4 mi · Boulder Canyon 5 mi · Crook City 7 mi · Whitewood 8 mi · Deadwood 11 mi · Central City 14 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 Sturgis (44.4104, -103.4996); 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.