town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Superior, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Superior?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Superior, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, huckleberries, mallow ninebark; water white
- 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, dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red; light 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi NW, blooms early 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 Superior
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: open water 0.07 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi N.
How Superior ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 57th | 85th | 63rd |
| Montana | 96th | 98th | 94th | 13th |
| Northern Rockies | 76th | 72nd | 76th | 66th |
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 Superior: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Riverbend 5 mi · St. Regis 12 mi · Paradise 14 mi · Plains 18 mi · Cyr 20 mi · De Borgia 23 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 Superior (47.1951, -114.9014); 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.