community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Martinsdale, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (80th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Martinsdale?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Martinsdale, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion, willows; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 193 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early 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 Martinsdale
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S.
How Martinsdale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 41st | 80th | 98th |
| Montana | 91st | 91st | 80th | 94th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 90th | 91st | 85th | 97th |
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 Martinsdale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Martinsdale Colony 3 mi · Twodot 12 mi · Duncan Ranch Colony 14 mi · Harlowton 23 mi · Springwater Colony 27 mi · White Sulphur Springs 29 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 Martinsdale (46.4547, -110.312); 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.