community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Martinsdale Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S); peas (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 1.1 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Martinsdale Colony?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Martinsdale 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; 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 156 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 447 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 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 Colony
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N.
How Martinsdale Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 30th | 81st | 98th |
| Montana | 90th | 73rd | 85th | 93rd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 89th | 58th | 87th | 96th |
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 Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Martinsdale 3 mi · Twodot 10 mi · Duncan Ranch Colony 12 mi · Harlowton 21 mi · Springwater Colony 24 mi · Judith Gap 27 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 Colony (46.4896, -110.2605); 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.