community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Belfry, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (68th percentile) and lowest in spring (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Belfry?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Belfry, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light 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
- Corn: about 362 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 192 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , 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 Belfry
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi NW.
How Belfry ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 25th | 74th | 88th |
| Montana | 69th | 50th | 68th | 60th |
| Wyoming Basin | 97th | 94th | 98th | 79th |
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 Belfry: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bearcreek 8 mi · Bridger 12 mi · Red Lodge 13 mi · Fox 15 mi · Roberts 17 mi · Fromberg 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 Belfry (45.1372, -108.9981); 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.