community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Fords Creek Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (62nd percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: peas (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); mustard (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fords Creek Colony?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, peas, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fords Creek Colony, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): peas, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), peas, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Peas: about 125 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 551 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Mustard: about 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi N, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 1 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 Fords Creek Colony
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.17 mi N; open water 0.22 mi N.
How Fords Creek Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 39th | 24th | 71st | 76th |
| Montana | 58th | 46th | 62nd | 32nd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 62nd | 28th | 73rd | 14th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Fords Creek Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ayers Ranch Colony 6 mi · Grass Range 9 mi · Roy 14 mi · Warm Spring Creek 18 mi · Hilger 22 mi · Brooks 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 Fords Creek Colony (47.131, -108.9167); 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.