town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Melstone, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Melstone?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Melstone, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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 490 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 Melstone
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi SE.
How Melstone ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 47th | 43rd | 67th | 82nd |
| Montana | 68th | 93rd | 55th | 44th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 72nd | 94th | 69th | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Melstone: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Musselshell 13 mi · Kilby Butte Colony 25 mi · Flat Willow Colony 31 mi · Roundup 34 mi · Camp Three 35 mi · Klein 35 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 Melstone (46.5987, -107.8683); 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.