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Montana

Honey bee forage and the honey flow in Montana

Across 495 towns in Montana, the main honey flow typically runs from about May 16 to Aug 31, peaking around Jul 8. First forage worth flying for comes around Apr 1, and the season ends around Oct 31. Few towns show a dearth in a typical year.

What makes the honey in Montana

Most common honey plants across the state's towns: clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed.

Most common bee crops within flight range of towns: alfalfa, canola, peas, lentils, mustard, corn.

How the state's towns rank: the median town sits at the 60th percentile of random land across the US.

State-wide figures are medians over the towns below, each scored at its Census center point. Your own spot can differ a lot; check it.

The national forage map over Montana: darker is more forage for honey bees. Tap anywhere for that spot's report, or open the national map.

Best and lowest of the state's sample

Of 3,000 random land points in Montana: the best is near Gildford Colony, MT (96th percentile in the US); the lowest is near Cooke City, MT. All notable spots.

Every town in Montana

495 cities, towns, villages, boroughs and census-designated communities, each with its honey flow dates, honey plants, bee crops and ranking.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

    A

    • Absarokee community · flow Apr 16 to Aug 31
    • Acton community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Alberton town · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Alder community · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Alzada community · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Amsterdam community · flow Jun 16 to Sep 15
    • Antelope community · flow Jun 1 to Jul 31
    • Argenta community · flow May 16 to Sep 30
    • Arlee community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Ashland community · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Augusta community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Avon community · flow Jun 1 to Sep 15
    • Ayers Ranch Colony community · flow Jul 1 to Aug 31
    • Azure community · flow May 16 to Sep 15

    B

    • Babb community · flow Jun 1 to Aug 31
    • Bainville town · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Baker city · flow May 1 to Sep 15
    • Ballantine community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Basin community · flow Jun 1 to Aug 31
    • Batavia community · flow May 16 to Aug 31
    • Bear Dance community · flow May 1 to Jul 31
    • Bearcreek town · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Beaver Creek community · flow May 16 to Jul 15
    • Belfry community · flow Jul 1 to Sep 15
    • Belgrade city · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Belknap community · flow May 1 to Jul 31
    • Belt town · flow Apr 16 to Aug 31
    • Biddle community · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Big Arm community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Big Sandy town · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Big Sky community · flow May 16 to Aug 31
    • Big Sky Colony community · flow Jun 1 to Aug 31
    • Big Stone Colony community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Big Timber city · flow Apr 16 to Aug 31
    • Bigfork community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Billings city · flow May 1 to Jul 15
    • Birch Creek Colony community · flow Jun 1 to Aug 15
    • Birney community · flow May 1 to Sep 30
    • Black Eagle community · flow Apr 16 to Aug 15
    • Blackfoot community · flow Jun 1 to Sep 30
    • Bloomfield community · flow Jun 1 to Jul 31
    • Boneau community · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Bonner-West Riverside community · flow Apr 16 to Jul 31
    • Boulder city · flow May 1 to Sep 15
    • Box Elder community · flow May 1 to Sep 15
    • Boyd community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Bozeman city · flow May 1 to Jul 31
    • Brady community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Brandon community · flow Jun 1 to Sep 30
    • Bridger community · flow Jun 1 to Aug 31
    • Bridger town · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Broadus town · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Broadview town · flow May 16 to Aug 31
    • Brockton community · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Brockway community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Brooks community · flow Jul 1 to Sep 15
    • Browning community · flow May 16 to Sep 30
    • Bull Lake community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Busby community · flow May 1 to Sep 15
    • Bynum community · flow Jul 1 to Sep 15

    C

    D

    • Danvers community · flow May 16 to Aug 31
    • Darby town · flow Apr 16 to Aug 15
    • Dayton community · flow May 16 to Aug 15
    • De Borgia community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Deer Lodge city · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Deerfield Colony community · flow May 16 to Aug 31
    • Dell community · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Denton town · flow May 16 to Aug 31
    • Dewey community · flow Jun 1 to Aug 31
    • Dillon city · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Dodson town · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Drummond town · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Duncan Ranch Colony community · flow May 1 to Sep 15
    • Dupuyer community · flow Jul 1 to Sep 15
    • Dutton town · flow Apr 16 to Aug 15

    E

    F

    G

    H

    I

    J

    • Jackson community · flow May 16 to Oct 15
    • Jardine community · flow Jun 1 to Sep 15
    • Jeffers community · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Jefferson City community · flow May 1 to Sep 15
    • Jette community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Joliet town · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Joplin community · flow May 16 to Jul 31
    • Jordan town · flow Apr 16 to Sep 15
    • Judith Gap city · flow Jul 1 to Sep 15

    K

    L

    M

    N

    O

    • Old Agency community · flow May 1 to Aug 15
    • Olney community · flow May 16 to Aug 15
    • Opheim town · flow Jul 1 to Aug 15
    • Orchard Homes community · flow Apr 16 to Jul 31
    • Outlook town · flow Jun 16 to Jul 31
    • Ovando community · flow May 16 to Sep 15

    P

    R

    S

    T

    U

    • Ulm community · flow May 1 to Aug 31
    • Unionville community · flow May 16 to Aug 15
    • Utica community · flow Jul 1 to Sep 15

    V

    • Valier town · flow May 1 to Aug 15
    • Vaughn community · flow Apr 16 to Aug 31
    • Victor community · flow Apr 16 to Jul 31
    • Vida community · flow Jun 1 to Jul 31
    • Virginia City town · flow Jun 1 to Sep 30

    W

    Y

    • Yaak community · flow May 16 to Aug 15
    • York community · flow May 16 to Jul 31

    Z

    • Zenith Colony community · flow Jun 16 to Aug 15
    • Zortman community · flow May 16 to Sep 15
    • Zurich community · flow Jul 1 to Aug 31

    Estimates from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources · Other states.