community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Kila, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.8 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); camelina (nearest 2.7 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kila?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers, willows)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kila, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, native wildflowers, huckleberries, snowberry; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, huckleberries, fireweed; extra light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fireweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, huckleberries; 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 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Oct (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi S, blooms early May – late Jul (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 Kila
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW.
How Kila ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 51st | 85th | 72nd |
| Montana | 95th | 97th | 92nd | 24th |
| Northern Rockies | 71st | 60th | 71st | 80th |
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 Kila: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Batavia 5 mi · Kalispell 9 mi · Marion 10 mi · Forest Hill Village 10 mi · Rhodes 11 mi · Little Bitterroot Lake 12 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 Kila (48.1215, -114.4767); 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.