community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Musselshell, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 27% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Musselshell?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Musselshell, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some 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 408 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi NW, 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 Musselshell
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi NE.
How Musselshell ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 34th | 49th | 78th |
| Montana | 27th | 83rd | 18th | 35th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 28th | 75th | 27th | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Musselshell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kilby Butte Colony 13 mi · Melstone 13 mi · Roundup 21 mi · Klein 23 mi · Camp Three 23 mi · Flat Willow Colony 25 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 Musselshell (46.4942, -108.0963); 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.