community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Rapelje, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (75th percentile) and lowest in fall (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi N); safflower (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rapelje?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rapelje, 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): dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 483 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Safflower: about 90 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Rapelje
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.36 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.46 mi NW.
How Rapelje ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 52nd | 29th | 77th | 74th |
| Montana | 73rd | 67th | 75th | 29th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 76th | 50th | 82nd | 11th |
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 Rapelje: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Golden Valley Colony 20 mi · Broadview 20 mi · Ryegate 23 mi · Reed Point 23 mi · Columbus 23 mi · Mountain View Colony 27 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 Rapelje (45.972, -109.258); 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.