town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Denton, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Denton?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Denton, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola, dandelion; 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
- Canola: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 61 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Lentils: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Denton
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 49% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Denton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 37th | 75th | 70th |
| Montana | 71st | 88th | 69th | 20th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 74th | 85th | 78th | 7th |
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 Denton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Coffee Creek 7 mi · Danvers 13 mi · Deerfield Colony 13 mi · Stanford 17 mi · Square Butte 18 mi · Moccasin 19 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 Denton (47.3222, -109.9482); 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.