community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Potomac, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Potomac?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Potomac, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, canada thistle; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, alfalfa, 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
- Alfalfa: about 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Potomac
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SW.
How Potomac ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 47th | 84th | 97th |
| Montana | 96th | 95th | 91st | 90th |
| Middle Rockies | 97th | 98th | 96th | 86th |
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 Potomac: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Twin Creeks 7 mi · Clinton 10 mi · Turah 12 mi · Piltzville 13 mi · Bonner-West Riverside 15 mi · East Missoula 18 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 Potomac (46.8813, -113.5751); 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.