community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Essex, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (15th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.35 mi SE.
When is the honey flow in Essex?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, huckleberries, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Essex, 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 Jun 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers, kinnikinnick; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; water white
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, fireweed, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Essex
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Rocky Mountain Subalpine Mesic-Wet Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.35 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.36 mi SE.
How Essex ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 33rd | 82nd | 64th |
| Montana | 83rd | 80th | 87th | 15th |
| Canadian Rockies | 69th | 86th | 70th | 14th |
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 Essex: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pinnacle 5 mi · Snowslip 8 mi · Martin City 21 mi · East Glacier Park Village 21 mi · Hungry Horse 22 mi · Coram 22 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 Essex (48.2849, -113.6107); 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.