community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Edgar, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (79th percentile) and lowest in fall (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Edgar?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Edgar, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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
- Corn: about 251 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Edgar
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Barley.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi E.
How Edgar ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 33rd | 69th | 79th |
| Montana | 63rd | 79th | 59th | 37th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 66th | 68th | 72nd | 17th |
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 Edgar: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Montaqua 4 mi · Rockvale 4 mi · Fromberg 5 mi · Joliet 6 mi · Silesia 6 mi · Boyd 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 Edgar (45.4593, -108.8588); 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.