community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Old Agency, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Old Agency?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Old Agency, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, dandelion, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; 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 303 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Old Agency
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi W.
How Old Agency ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 76th | 87th | 82nd |
| Montana | 99th | 100th | 96th | 44th |
| Northern Rockies | 97th | 98th | 90th | 89th |
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 Old Agency: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sčilíp 3 mi · Ravalli 7 mi · St. Ignatius 9 mi · Charlo 10 mi · Kicking Horse 15 mi · Arlee 15 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 Old Agency (47.3252, -114.2975); 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.