town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Drummond, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (78th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SW); corn (nearest 2.6 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Drummond?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Drummond, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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 167 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early 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 Drummond
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi W.
How Drummond ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 55th | 79th | 96th |
| Montana | 93rd | 98th | 78th | 88th |
| Middle Rockies | 96th | 98th | 91st | 84th |
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 Drummond: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hall 6 mi · Goldcreek 12 mi · Maxville 14 mi · Helmville 16 mi · Garrison 18 mi · Ovando 24 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 Drummond (46.6666, -113.147); 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.