city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Red Lodge, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.8 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Red Lodge?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Red Lodge, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; 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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi NW, 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 Red Lodge
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi SW; open water 0.28 mi N.
How Red Lodge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 56th | 84th | 99th |
| Montana | 98th | 98th | 91st | 96th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 95th | 99th | 90th | 97th |
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 Red Lodge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bearcreek 5 mi · Fox 7 mi · Luther 10 mi · Roberts 11 mi · Belfry 13 mi · Roscoe 16 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 Red Lodge (45.1933, -109.2501); 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.