community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Zurich, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); peas (nearest 1.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Zurich?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Zurich, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 308 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Zurich
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Alfalfa; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi NE.
How Zurich ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 40th | 79th | 71st |
| Montana | 81st | 90th | 78th | 23rd |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 50th | 86th | 50th | 29th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Zurich: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chinook 9 mi · Harlem 12 mi · North Harlem Colony 13 mi · Fort Belknap Agency 19 mi · Hogeland 25 mi · East End Colony 26 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 Zurich (48.586, -109.0302); 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.