community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Kilby Butte Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); mustard (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kilby Butte Colony?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kilby Butte 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Alfalfa: about 316 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Kilby Butte Colony
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi SE.
How Kilby Butte Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 34th | 73rd | 63rd |
| Montana | 64th | 82nd | 65th | 13th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 67th | 72nd | 76th | 3rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Kilby Butte Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Roundup 9 mi · Camp Three 10 mi · Klein 11 mi · Musselshell 13 mi · Flat Willow Colony 18 mi · Melstone 25 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 Kilby Butte Colony (46.4762, -108.3604); 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.