city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Deer Lodge, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Deer Lodge?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Deer Lodge, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, 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 1,318 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Deer Lodge
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.38 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 61% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Deer Lodge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 60th | 84th | 98th |
| Montana | 98th | 99th | 91st | 94th |
| Middle Rockies | 99th | 99th | 97th | 94th |
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 Deer Lodge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Racetrack 8 mi · Garrison 11 mi · Goldcreek 16 mi · Elliston 17 mi · Avon 18 mi · Basin 23 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 Deer Lodge (46.3983, -112.7332); 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.