town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Eureka, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Eureka?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Eureka, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 61 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Oct (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 Eureka
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi S.
How Eureka ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 69th | 85th | 92nd |
| Montana | 98th | 100th | 94th | 73rd |
| Northern Rockies | 93rd | 94th | 78th | 94th |
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 Eureka: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Indian Springs 5 mi · Rexford 6 mi · West Kootenai 10 mi · Fortine 11 mi · Trego 17 mi · Stryker 19 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 Eureka (48.8789, -115.0492); 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.