community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Springhill, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.6 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Springhill?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Springhill, 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): 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): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 70 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early 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 Springhill
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi W.
How Springhill ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 39th | 81st | 97th |
| Montana | 91st | 89th | 84th | 91st |
| Middle Rockies | 95th | 95th | 94th | 88th |
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 Springhill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Belgrade 8 mi · Bridger 10 mi · Sedan 11 mi · Gallatin River Ranch 12 mi · Manhattan 12 mi · Bozeman 14 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 Springhill (45.8842, -111.0817); 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.