community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Lame Deer, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 1% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it ranks highest in spring (26th percentile) and lowest in summer (2nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.4 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lame Deer?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lame Deer, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), smooth sumac, snowberry, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sweet clovers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry, rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), smooth sumac; 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 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Lame Deer
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi N.
How Lame Deer ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 18th | 37th | 62nd |
| Montana | 1st | 26th | 2nd | 12th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 1st | 10th | 2nd | 3rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 94% 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 Lame Deer: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Muddy 8 mi · Birney 15 mi · Ashland 15 mi · Busby 19 mi · Colstrip 19 mi · Crow Agency 41 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 Lame Deer (45.6177, -106.6134); 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.