South Dakota’s honey bees brought in nearly $23.9 million for beekeepers

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - September is National Honey Month, celebrating the hard work of the honeybees. In 2020 South Dakota produced nearly 8.5 million pounds of honey.

Beekeepers brought in $23.9 million in 2020. The honey from the 245,000 colonies in South Dakota is based on precipitation and the pollen the bees collect. This year, the owner of Lime Creek Apiary says honey production was hindered by the drought.

The plants that produce pollen for the bees greatly affect the appearance and taste of the honey. “It makes it different colored, and it also makes a different flavor. There are some flavors of honey that are sold as orange blossom or sweet clover,” said Tom Allen, owner of Lime Creek Apiary.

Allen says the sweetest honey usually comes from alfalfa in the spring and summertime.