community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Roy, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in summer (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Roy?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Roy, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra 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); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Alfalfa: about 349 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 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 Roy
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi S.
How Roy ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 32nd | 72nd | 91st |
| Montana | 69th | 78th | 64th | 71st |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 73rd | 65th | 75th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Roy: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fords Creek Colony 14 mi · Warm Spring Creek 18 mi · Hilger 19 mi · Ayers Ranch Colony 20 mi · Grass Range 23 mi · Brooks 23 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 Roy (47.3343, -108.96); 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.