community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Indian Springs, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Indian Springs?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Indian Springs, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms late Jun – 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 Indian Springs
Mostly: Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.53 mi SW.
How Indian Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 50th | 86th | 98th |
| Montana | 98th | 96th | 96th | 95th |
| Northern Rockies | 91st | 57th | 89th | 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 Indian Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Eureka 5 mi · Rexford 7 mi · West Kootenai 8 mi · Fortine 15 mi · Trego 22 mi · Stryker 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 Indian Springs (48.9578, -115.0437); 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.