community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Big Sky Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in spring (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Big Sky Colony?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (peas, native wildflowers, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Sky Colony, 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 31.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): peas, native wildflowers, canola, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, chick Peas; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, peas; 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
- Canola: about 98 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Chickpeas: about 414 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Lentils: about 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early Jul – early 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 Big Sky Colony
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Chick Peas.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SW.
How Big Sky Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 15th | 79th | 97th |
| Montana | 80th | 21st | 80th | 90th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 49th | 19th | 52nd | 86th |
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 Big Sky Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Glendale Colony 10 mi · Seville Colony 12 mi · Hidden Lake Colony 18 mi · Blackfoot 19 mi · Zenith Colony 19 mi · North Browning 22 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 Big Sky Colony (48.8392, -112.7685); 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.