town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Nashua, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); lentils (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Nashua?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jun (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), peas)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Nashua, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, peas, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 201 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 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 Nashua
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.21 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.32 mi S.
How Nashua ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 53rd | 74th | 69th |
| Montana | 80th | 97th | 67th | 20th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 49th | 95th | 41st | 27th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Nashua: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fort Peck 10 mi · Glasgow 13 mi · Frazer 15 mi · St. Marie 20 mi · Prairie Elk Colony 27 mi · Wolf Point 33 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 Nashua (48.1336, -106.3571); 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.