community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Hillside Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: peas (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hillside Colony?
- First forage: Apr 16 (canola, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (canola, peas)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hillside 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, peas, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, alfalfa, chick Peas, peas; 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); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): canola, peas, alfalfa, chick Peas; white, 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
- Peas: about 533 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Chickpeas: about 147 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Aug (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 Hillside Colony
Mostly: Unmapped; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Barley.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.14 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.15 mi S.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 49% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Hillside Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 26th | 86th | 73rd |
| Montana | 91st | 53rd | 96th | 28th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 60th | 46th | 66th | 34th |
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 Hillside Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sweet Grass 5 mi · Rimrock Colony 6 mi · Sunburst 11 mi · Glacier Colony 12 mi · Zenith Colony 14 mi · Kevin 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 Hillside Colony (48.9789, -112.0704); 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.