community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Helena West Side, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 3.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Helena West Side?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late May (native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Helena West Side, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; 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, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, snowberry; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; 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 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 West Side
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S.
How Helena West Side ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 34th | 64th | 89th |
| Montana | 60th | 82nd | 48th | 64th |
| Middle Rockies | 74th | 92nd | 50th | 59th |
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 West Side: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Unionville 4 mi · Helena 5 mi · Helena Valley West Central 5 mi · South Hills 6 mi · East Helena 9 mi · Rimini 10 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 West Side (46.5962, -112.1165); 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.