community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Starr School, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Starr School?
- First forage: May 1 (native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Starr School, 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 Jun 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, serviceberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, native wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Nov (grown 4 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 Starr School
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; open water 0.24 mi SW.
How Starr School ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 13th | 85th | 100th |
| Montana | 95th | 19th | 94th | 99th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 67th | 17th | 63rd | 98th |
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 Starr School: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Browning 6 mi · Browning 7 mi · South Browning 7 mi · East Glacier Park Village 12 mi · Blackfoot 12 mi · St. Mary 16 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 Starr School (48.6048, -113.1422); 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.