community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Babb, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (86th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Babb?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers, willows)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Babb, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, native wildflowers, serviceberry, chokecherry and bitter cherry; dark amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, serviceberry, huckleberries; dark amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fireweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, serviceberry; 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 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Nov (grown 2 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 Babb
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi NW.
How Babb ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 46th | 87th | 95th |
| Montana | 97th | 94th | 97th | 86th |
| Canadian Rockies | 96th | 95th | 93rd | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Babb: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. Mary 10 mi · Starr School 24 mi · North Browning 29 mi · Browning 30 mi · South Browning 31 mi · Big Sky Colony 31 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 Babb (48.8879, -113.4511); 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.