community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Bloomfield, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it ranks highest in summer (36th percentile) and lowest in fall (10th). Biggest nearby bee crops: lentils (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bloomfield?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), peas, lentils)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bloomfield, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), peas, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), lentils, alfalfa, peas; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), peas, lentils, alfalfa; extra 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
- Lentils: about 169 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms late May – early Jul (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 Bloomfield
Mostly: Spring Wheat; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Lentils.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 54% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Bloomfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 20th | 58th | 60th |
| Montana | 16th | 31st | 36th | 10th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 17th | 14th | 53rd | 2nd |
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 Bloomfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lindsay 17 mi · Richey 17 mi · West Glendive 23 mi · Fox Lake 23 mi · Glendive 23 mi · Savage 27 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 Bloomfield (47.4122, -104.9188); 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.