community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Silver Star, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in summer (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Silver Star?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Silver Star, 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, native wildflowers, willows; 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, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March 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
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 130 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, 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 Silver Star
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SE; open water 0.08 mi SE.
How Silver Star ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 47th | 77th | 97th |
| Montana | 88th | 95th | 73rd | 90th |
| Middle Rockies | 94th | 98th | 88th | 87th |
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 Silver Star: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Twin Bridges 10 mi · Rader Creek 11 mi · Mammoth 13 mi · Whitehall 16 mi · Sheridan 16 mi · Brandon 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 Silver Star (45.6874, -112.2851); 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.