community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Ravalli, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring and summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ravalli?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ravalli, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, native wildflowers, serviceberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, serviceberry; 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 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Ravalli
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.37 mi SW.
How Ravalli ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 56th | 88th | 82nd |
| Montana | 98th | 98th | 98th | 46th |
| Northern Rockies | 94th | 71st | 96th | 89th |
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 Ravalli: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. Ignatius 4 mi · Old Agency 7 mi · Arlee 9 mi · Sčilíp 10 mi · Charlo 11 mi · Kicking Horse 13 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 Ravalli (47.2813, -114.1644); 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.