community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Hidden Lake Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (52nd percentile) and lowest in spring (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: lentils (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hidden Lake Colony?
- First forage: Apr 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (lentils, alfalfa, chick Peas)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hidden Lake Colony, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), peas, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): lentils, alfalfa, chick Peas, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, lentils, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), chick Peas; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Lentils: about 117 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Chickpeas: about 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 216 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Oct (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 Hidden Lake Colony
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Lentils.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.18 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.41 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 44% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Hidden Lake Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 25th | 4th | 66th | 82nd |
| Montana | 33rd | 8th | 52nd | 44th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 12th | 4th | 29th | 48th |
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 Hidden Lake Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Seville Colony 7 mi · Little Browning 12 mi · Blackfoot 12 mi · Cut Bank 13 mi · Santa Rita 15 mi · Glendale Colony 17 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 Hidden Lake Colony (48.5987, -112.6031); 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.