community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Brandon, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W); corn (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Brandon?
- First forage: Apr 16 (arrowleaf balsamroot, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Brandon, 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 Jun 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, snowberry; 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 204 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 5 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 Brandon
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N.
How Brandon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 16th | 66th | 97th |
| Montana | 58th | 24th | 53rd | 91st |
| Middle Rockies | 73rd | 69th | 57th | 88th |
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 Brandon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sheridan 3 mi · Alder 10 mi · Twin Bridges 11 mi · Mammoth 15 mi · Virginia City 15 mi · Silver Star 17 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 Brandon (45.466, -112.1339); 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.