community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Square Butte, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); peas (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); lentils (nearest 2.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Square Butte?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Square Butte, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; 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 581 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Lentils: about 499 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 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 Square Butte
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi S.
How Square Butte ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 41st | 32nd | 68th | 76th |
| Montana | 61st | 78th | 58th | 32nd |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 34th | 70th | 33rd | 38th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Square Butte: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Geraldine 7 mi · Coffee Creek 13 mi · Denton 18 mi · Geyser 22 mi · Surprise Creek Colony 25 mi · Stanford 25 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 Square Butte (47.5142, -110.1991); 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.