community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Montaqua, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% 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: corn (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Montaqua?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Montaqua, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Corn: about 729 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 89 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Montaqua
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SE.
How Montaqua ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 43rd | 75th | 82nd |
| Montana | 79th | 93rd | 70th | 44th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 81st | 94th | 79th | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Montaqua: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rockvale 2 mi · Joliet 3 mi · Edgar 4 mi · Silesia 4 mi · Fromberg 8 mi · Park City 9 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 Montaqua (45.5073, -108.9087); 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.