town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Sheridan, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sheridan?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sheridan, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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
- Alfalfa: about 614 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Sheridan
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi W.
How Sheridan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 62nd | 86th | 99th |
| Montana | 99th | 99th | 96th | 96th |
| Middle Rockies | 100th | 99th | 99th | 96th |
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 Sheridan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brandon 3 mi · Twin Bridges 9 mi · Alder 10 mi · Silver Star 16 mi · Virginia City 17 mi · Mammoth 17 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 Sheridan (45.4588, -112.1946); 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.