community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Fox, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (82nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fox?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fox, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light 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 1,000 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Fox
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi W.
How Fox ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 56th | 80th | 96th |
| Montana | 95th | 98th | 82nd | 88th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 93rd | 99th | 86th | 91st |
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 Fox: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Roberts 4 mi · Red Lodge 7 mi · Bearcreek 9 mi · Luther 10 mi · Boyd 13 mi · Roscoe 14 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 Fox (45.2884, -109.2125); 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.