community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Boyd, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Boyd?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Boyd, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 136 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Boyd
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi N.
How Boyd ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 43rd | 75th | 81st |
| Montana | 78th | 93rd | 69th | 43rd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 80th | 94th | 78th | 22nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 Boyd: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Joliet 5 mi · Montaqua 9 mi · Fromberg 9 mi · Roberts 9 mi · Edgar 10 mi · Rockvale 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 Boyd (45.4541, -109.0697); 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.