community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Rollins, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rollins?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rollins, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1.4 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Rollins
Mostly: Open water; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
How Rollins ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 46th | 76th | 56th |
| Montana | 76th | 95th | 70th | 6th |
| Northern Rockies | 20th | 50th | 2nd | 50th |
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 Rollins: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dayton 5 mi · Lindisfarne 7 mi · Lakeside 8 mi · Bear Dance 8 mi · Lake Mary Ronan 9 mi · Big Arm 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 Rollins (47.9105, -114.1949); 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.