community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Rocky Boy's Agency, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (72nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rocky Boy's Agency?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rocky Boy's Agency, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; light amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry, willows; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Rocky Boy's Agency
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi SW.
How Rocky Boy's Agency ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 34th | 76th | 96th |
| Montana | 80th | 82nd | 72nd | 87th |
| Middle Rockies | 90th | 92nd | 87th | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Rocky Boy's Agency: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Parker School 2 mi · St. Pierre 2 mi · Sangrey 2 mi · Azure 3 mi · Boneau 5 mi · Rocky Boy West 10 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 Rocky Boy's Agency (48.261, -109.7746); 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.