community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Helmville, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (82nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SW); corn (nearest 2.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Helmville?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Helmville, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; 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 125 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi W, blooms early Aug – late 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 Helmville
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi W.
How Helmville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 37th | 80th | 99th |
| Montana | 94th | 88th | 82nd | 98th |
| Middle Rockies | 96th | 94th | 93rd | 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 Helmville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ovando 14 mi · Lincoln 15 mi · Drummond 16 mi · Goldcreek 19 mi · Hall 22 mi · Garrison 23 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 Helmville (46.8565, -112.9668); 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.