community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Sedan, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sedan?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, willows, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sedan, 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 Jun 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; 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 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jul – late 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 Sedan
Mostly: Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SE.
How Sedan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 21st | 82nd | 100th |
| Montana | 94th | 35th | 87th | 99th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 92nd | 18th | 88th | 100th |
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 Sedan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wilsall 11 mi · Bridger 11 mi · Springhill 11 mi · Clyde Park 14 mi · Belgrade 19 mi · Bozeman 21 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 Sedan (45.9633, -110.8793); 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.