community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Arlee, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Arlee?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Arlee, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, snowberry; extra 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 1,726 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Arlee
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NE.
How Arlee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 70th | 88th | 90th |
| Montana | 99th | 100th | 98th | 68th |
| Northern Rockies | 98th | 94th | 95th | 93rd |
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 Arlee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Evaro 7 mi · Ravalli 9 mi · St. Ignatius 10 mi · Frenchtown 12 mi · Old Agency 15 mi · Wye 15 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 Arlee (47.1681, -114.0836); 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.