community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Corvallis, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (89th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Corvallis?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Corvallis, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jul – late 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 Corvallis
Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.44 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Corvallis ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 75th | 87th | 96th |
| Montana | 99th | 100th | 97th | 89th |
| Middle Rockies | 100th | 100th | 99th | 85th |
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 Corvallis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hamilton 5 mi · Pinesdale 5 mi · Victor 7 mi · Charlos Heights 13 mi · Stevensville 13 mi · Darby 20 mi
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 Corvallis (46.314, -114.1117); 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.