community in Montana
Honey bee forage in St. Pierre, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in spring (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in St. Pierre?
- First forage: Apr 16 (native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of St. Pierre, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, willows, snowberry; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; light amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry, arrowleaf balsamroot; light amber
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 257 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi NW, 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 St. Pierre
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.53 mi N.
How St. Pierre ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 27th | 78th | 96th |
| Montana | 80th | 62nd | 75th | 89th |
| Middle Rockies | 91st | 87th | 90th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 St. Pierre: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rocky Boy's Agency 2 mi · Sangrey 3 mi · Parker School 4 mi · Azure 4 mi · Boneau 4 mi · Rocky Boy West 9 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 St. Pierre (48.2439, -109.8161); 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.