community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Orchard Homes, 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 (79th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orchard Homes?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orchard Homes, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, snowberry, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, snowberry; 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 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Orchard Homes
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.37 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.54 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 67% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Orchard Homes ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 84th | 85th | 94th |
| Montana | 99th | 100th | 95th | 79th |
| Middle Rockies | 100th | 100th | 98th | 73rd |
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 Orchard Homes: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Missoula 3 mi · Lolo 6 mi · East Missoula 6 mi · Wye 7 mi · Bonner-West Riverside 9 mi · Piltzville 11 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 Orchard Homes (46.8542, -114.0768); 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.