community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Grant, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (83rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grant?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Grant, 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 Jun 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, willows; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; 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 208 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 5 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 Grant
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi N.
How Grant ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 34th | 84th | 100th |
| Montana | 96th | 83rd | 91st | 99th |
| Middle Rockies | 98th | 92nd | 97th | 98th |
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 Grant: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Argenta 21 mi · Dillon 26 mi · Dell 27 mi · Maverick Mountain 28 mi · Jackson 30 mi · Lima 35 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 Grant (45.0096, -113.0675); 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.