community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Helena Valley Northwest, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi SE); camelina (nearest 1.2 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 2.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Helena Valley Northwest?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, arrowleaf balsamroot, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Helena Valley Northwest, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 85 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 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 Helena Valley Northwest
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.51 mi N.
How Helena Valley Northwest ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 41st | 66th | 90th |
| Montana | 67th | 91st | 52nd | 66th |
| Middle Rockies | 81st | 96th | 56th | 61st |
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 Helena Valley Northwest: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Helena Valley West Central 5 mi · Helena Valley Northeast 6 mi · Helena 9 mi · Helena West Side 10 mi · Helena Valley Southeast 10 mi · Canyon Creek 11 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 Helena Valley Northwest (46.7295, -112.0581); 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.