city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Summerset, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 41% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Summerset?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Summerset, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 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 Summerset
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi NE.
How Summerset ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 50th | 66th | 82nd |
| South Dakota | 41st | 91st | 37th | 41st |
| Middle Rockies | 85th | 98th | 58th | 39th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Summerset: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wonderland Homes 1 mi · Piedmont 3 mi · Blackhawk 3 mi · Johnson Siding 9 mi · Rapid City 10 mi · Ashland Heights 12 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 Summerset (44.1926, -103.341); 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.