community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Niarada, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 2.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Niarada?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Niarada, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some 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 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Niarada
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi E.
How Niarada ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 57th | 89th | 99th |
| Montana | 99th | 98th | 99th | 96th |
| Northern Rockies | 98th | 73rd | 97th | 99th |
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 Niarada: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Elmo 10 mi · Lake Mary Ronan 10 mi · Lonepine 10 mi · Dayton 13 mi · Big Arm 14 mi · Camas 15 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 Niarada (47.8309, -114.5578); 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.