community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Paradise, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 3.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Paradise?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Paradise, 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): willows, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; 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 180 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Paradise
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.15 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.16 mi SW.
How Paradise ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 61st | 84th | 56th |
| Montana | 95th | 99th | 90th | 7th |
| Northern Rockies | 73rd | 80th | 63rd | 50th |
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 Paradise: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Plains 7 mi · Superior 14 mi · Weeksville 14 mi · St. Regis 15 mi · Hot Springs 17 mi · Riverbend 17 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 Paradise (47.3849, -114.7953); 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.