town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Ismay, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (60th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ismay?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ismay, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; 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 54 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – 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 Ismay
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi SW.
How Ismay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 39th | 70th | 94th |
| Montana | 72nd | 89th | 60th | 81st |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 75th | 88th | 73rd | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Ismay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Plevna 14 mi · Baker 26 mi · Fallon 28 mi · Terry 32 mi · West Glendive 42 mi · Glendive 42 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 Ismay (46.5002, -104.7929); 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.