community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Riceville, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (75th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 2.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Riceville?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Riceville, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry, native wildflowers; 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 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Riceville
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi N.
How Riceville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 36th | 78th | 97th |
| Montana | 85th | 85th | 75th | 92nd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 85th | 79th | 82nd | 95th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Riceville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Monarch 9 mi · Raynesford 10 mi · Pleasant Valley Colony 10 mi · Belt 12 mi · Stockett 15 mi · Centerville 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 Riceville (47.2202, -110.9263); 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.