community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Finley Point, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 2% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in fall (1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: cherries (nearest 0.3 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 1.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 3.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Finley Point?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Finley Point, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; 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
- Cherries: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Apr – late May
- Alfalfa: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Finley Point
Mostly: Open water; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Finley Point ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 32nd | 39th | 35th |
| Montana | 2nd | 76th | 3rd | 1st |
| Northern Rockies | below the 1st | 24th | below the 1st | 11th |
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 Finley Point: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kings Point 4 mi · Polson 5 mi · Rocky Point 5 mi · Turtle Lake 6 mi · Jette 6 mi · Kerr 7 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 Finley Point (47.7495, -114.075); 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.