community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Belknap, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (2nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Belknap?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, willows, huckleberries)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Belknap, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers; dark amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fireweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers; dark amber
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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Oct (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 Belknap
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.48 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.49 mi NW.
How Belknap ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 59th | 80th | 42nd |
| Montana | 90th | 99th | 81st | 2nd |
| Northern Rockies | 54th | 77th | 26th | 21st |
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 Belknap: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Thompson Falls 5 mi · Trout Creek 15 mi · Saltese 17 mi · Haugan 18 mi · De Borgia 20 mi · Weeksville 21 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 Belknap (47.6473, -115.4221); 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.