community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Avon, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Avon?
- First forage: Apr 16 (arrowleaf balsamroot, willows, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Avon, 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 Jun 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, willows, serviceberry; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, green/yellow rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some 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 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Avon
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi E.
How Avon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 14th | 72nd | 95th |
| Montana | 64th | 20th | 63rd | 86th |
| Middle Rockies | 78th | 65th | 75th | 80th |
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 Avon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Elliston 7 mi · Garrison 13 mi · Marysville 15 mi · Goldcreek 17 mi · Deer Lodge 18 mi · Rimini 18 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 Avon (46.6287, -112.5756); 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.