community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Rockvale, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rockvale?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rockvale, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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), spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 308 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Rockvale
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW.
How Rockvale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 37th | 72nd | 81st |
| Montana | 69th | 87th | 64th | 43rd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 73rd | 83rd | 75th | 22nd |
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 Rockvale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Montaqua 2 mi · Silesia 3 mi · Edgar 4 mi · Joliet 5 mi · Park City 8 mi · Fromberg 9 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 Rockvale (45.5187, -108.8713); 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.