community in Montana
Honey bee forage in South Hills, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (69th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: mustard (nearest 3.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in South Hills?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of South Hills, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, snowberry, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi E, blooms late Jul – early 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 South Hills
Mostly: Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi NW.
How South Hills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 37th | 29th | 64th | 87th |
| Montana | 55th | 69th | 48th | 56th |
| Middle Rockies | 69th | 89th | 52nd | 52nd |
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 South Hills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Helena 3 mi · Montana City 4 mi · East Helena 4 mi · Unionville 4 mi · Helena West Side 6 mi · Helena Valley Southeast 6 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 South Hills (46.5564, -111.9975); 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.