community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Prairie Elk Colony, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Prairie Elk Colony?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Prairie Elk Colony, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), peas, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs; 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), alfalfa, 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), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 54 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms late May – early Jul (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 Prairie Elk Colony
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi SE.
How Prairie Elk Colony ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 36th | 69th | 78th |
| Montana | 65th | 87th | 59th | 36th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 37th | 80th | 33rd | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Prairie Elk Colony: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wolf Point 9 mi · Frazer 12 mi · Vida 19 mi · Nashua 27 mi · Poplar 29 mi · Fort Peck 30 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 Prairie Elk Colony (48.0147, -105.7982); 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.