community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Montello, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (77th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Montello?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Montello, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): weedy mustards, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, weedy mustards, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 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 Montello
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SW.
How Montello ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 21st | 33rd | 42nd | 82nd |
| Nevada | 85th | 90th | 79th | 77th |
| Central Basin and Range | 77th | 85th | 72nd | 75th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Montello: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
West Wendover 37 mi · Wells 41 mi · Jackpot 55 mi · Ryndon 76 mi · Jarbidge 76 mi · Lamoille 77 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 Montello (41.267, -114.1971); 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.