community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Birney, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (59th percentile) and lowest in summer (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 2.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Birney?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Birney, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some 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 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Birney
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.45 mi NE.
How Birney ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 27th | 45th | 82nd |
| Montana | 16th | 59th | 12th | 45th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 17th | 41st | 17th | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Birney: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lame Deer 15 mi · Ashland 16 mi · Muddy 18 mi · Busby 25 mi · Colstrip 34 mi · Forty Mile Colony 43 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 Birney (45.4155, -106.4934); 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.