community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Radersburg, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); camelina (nearest 2.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); mustard (nearest 3.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Radersburg?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Radersburg, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Camelina: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Radersburg
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi SE.
How Radersburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 43rd | 67th | 92nd |
| Montana | 71st | 93rd | 56th | 74th |
| Middle Rockies | 84th | 96th | 61st | 68th |
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 Radersburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Toston 9 mi · Townsend 10 mi · The Silos 14 mi · Elkhorn 16 mi · Wheatland 16 mi · Ponderosa Pines 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 Radersburg (46.1964, -111.6314); 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.