city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Laurel, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Laurel?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Laurel, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; 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 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 874 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi NE, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 Laurel
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.24 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.43 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 79% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Laurel ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 58th | 72nd | 76th |
| Montana | 82nd | 98th | 63rd | 31st |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 83rd | 99th | 74th | 13th |
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 Laurel: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Park City 8 mi · Silesia 9 mi · Rockvale 12 mi · Montaqua 13 mi · Billings 13 mi · Edgar 15 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 Laurel (45.674, -108.7768); 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.