community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Sula, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sula?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sula, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, willows; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 Sula
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi S.
How Sula ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 42nd | 83rd | 97th |
| Montana | 94th | 92nd | 88th | 90th |
| Idaho Batholith | 93rd | 88th | 76th | 79th |
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 Sula: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Conner 10 mi · Darby 16 mi · Charlos Heights 23 mi · Wisdom 30 mi · Hamilton 30 mi · Corvallis 33 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 Sula (45.8462, -113.9575); 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.