community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Frenchtown, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (66th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Frenchtown?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Frenchtown, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, snowberry; extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Frenchtown
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi SE.
How Frenchtown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 65th | 85th | 90th |
| Montana | 98th | 99th | 94th | 66th |
| Middle Rockies | 99th | 99th | 98th | 62nd |
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 Frenchtown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Huson 4 mi · Wye 7 mi · Evaro 11 mi · Alberton 11 mi · Arlee 12 mi · Orchard Homes 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 Frenchtown (47.028, -114.2462); 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.