community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Box Elder, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Box Elder?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, mustard)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Box Elder, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, mustard; 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), mustard; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), mustard; 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
- Sorghum: about 122 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 288 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi E, 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 Box Elder
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.6 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.63 mi SW.
How Box Elder ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 33rd | 67th | 80th |
| Montana | 60th | 80th | 54th | 40th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 33rd | 72nd | 30th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Box Elder: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rocky Boy West 2 mi · Boneau 7 mi · Laredo 10 mi · Sangrey 10 mi · Azure 10 mi · St. Pierre 11 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 Box Elder (48.3231, -110.0177); 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.