community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Fortine, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fortine?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fortine, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion; 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, native wildflowers; 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; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
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 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Fortine
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.52 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.53 mi NE.
How Fortine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 60th | 84th | 71st |
| Montana | 96th | 99th | 90th | 24th |
| Northern Rockies | 77th | 80th | 63rd | 80th |
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 Fortine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Trego 8 mi · Stryker 9 mi · Eureka 11 mi · Indian Springs 15 mi · Rexford 16 mi · West Kootenai 20 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 Fortine (48.7701, -114.886); 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.