community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Dayton, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (57th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dayton?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dayton, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; 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
- Alfalfa: about 110 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Dayton
Mostly: Open water; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.05 mi SW; open water 0.06 mi S.
How Dayton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 50th | 82nd | 87th |
| Montana | 93rd | 96th | 86th | 57th |
| Northern Rockies | 66th | 59th | 45th | 92nd |
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 Dayton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Elmo 4 mi · Rollins 5 mi · Big Arm 5 mi · Lindisfarne 5 mi · Lake Mary Ronan 6 mi · Kings Point 9 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 Dayton (47.8649, -114.2768); 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.