community in Montana
Honey bee forage in East Missoula, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (77th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in East Missoula?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Missoula, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 East Missoula
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.41 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.65 mi NE.
How East Missoula ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 52nd | 82nd | 93rd |
| Montana | 95th | 97th | 87th | 77th |
| Middle Rockies | 97th | 98th | 95th | 71st |
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 East Missoula: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bonner-West Riverside 3 mi · Missoula 4 mi · Piltzville 5 mi · Orchard Homes 6 mi · Turah 6 mi · Wye 10 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 East Missoula (46.8797, -113.9472); 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.