town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Lima, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 3.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lima?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lima, 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 Jun 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, snowberry; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- 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): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 288 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 4 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 Lima
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi N.
How Lima ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 25th | 78th | 98th |
| Montana | 82nd | 50th | 75th | 95th |
| Middle Rockies | 92nd | 83rd | 89th | 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 Lima: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dell 8 mi · Grant 35 mi · Lakeview 38 mi · Dillon 40 mi · Argenta 46 mi · Alder 53 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 Lima (44.6383, -112.5918); 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.