community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Montana City, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.7 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 3.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); camelina (nearest 3.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Montana City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Montana City, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; 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 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi NE, blooms late May – 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 Montana City
Mostly: Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi W.
How Montana City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 46th | 71st | 79th |
| Montana | 74th | 95th | 61st | 37th |
| Middle Rockies | 87th | 97th | 72nd | 32nd |
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 Montana City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
South Hills 4 mi · East Helena 4 mi · Clancy 6 mi · Helena 6 mi · Helena Valley Southeast 7 mi · Unionville 7 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 Montana City (46.524, -111.9335); 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.