community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Klein, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 2% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (50th percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 2.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Klein?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, sweet clovers, smooth sumac)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Klein, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, smooth sumac, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, alfalfa, sweet clovers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, sweet clovers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, sweet clovers, dandelion, smooth sumac; 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 158 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Klein
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) 0.04 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi NE.
How Klein ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 25th | 41st | 51st |
| Montana | 2nd | 50th | 4th | 4th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 3rd | 31st | 7th | 1st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Klein: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Roundup 4 mi · Camp Three 4 mi · Kilby Butte Colony 11 mi · Lavina 20 mi · Musselshell 23 mi · Flat Willow Colony 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 Klein (46.3983, -108.5526); 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.