community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Riverbend, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Riverbend?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Riverbend, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, snowberry, native wildflowers, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, 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 Riverbend
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: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi E.
How Riverbend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 53rd | 84th | 62nd |
| Montana | 93rd | 97th | 91st | 11th |
| Northern Rockies | 67th | 64th | 65th | 62nd |
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 Riverbend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Superior 5 mi · Cyr 15 mi · Paradise 17 mi · St. Regis 17 mi · Alberton 19 mi · Plains 22 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 Riverbend (47.1453, -114.8324); 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.