community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Saddle Butte, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: mustard (nearest 1.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Saddle Butte?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (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 Saddle Butte, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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), mustard; extra light amber, 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, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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
- Mustard: about 96 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 57 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Saddle Butte
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.44 mi S.
How Saddle Butte ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 41st | 37th | 65th | 82nd |
| Montana | 61st | 87th | 50th | 44th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 34th | 81st | 27th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Saddle Butte: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Havre 2 mi · Havre North 3 mi · West Havre 4 mi · Herron 6 mi · Beaver Creek 8 mi · Laredo 13 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 Saddle Butte (48.5234, -109.6449); 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.