community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Biddle, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Biddle?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Biddle, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, alfalfa, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; 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 147 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 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 Biddle
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi W.
How Biddle ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 41st | 30th | 66th | 92nd |
| Montana | 61st | 71st | 52nd | 75th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 64th | 55th | 66th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Biddle: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Broadus 24 mi · Alzada 44 mi · Ashland 59 mi · Birney 61 mi · Ekalaka 65 mi · Lame Deer 72 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 Biddle (45.1051, -105.3115); 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.