community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Toston, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); canola (nearest 1.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Toston?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Toston, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, willows; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, 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 204 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Toston
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.27 mi E.
How Toston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 40th | 82nd | 75th |
| Montana | 87th | 90th | 85th | 31st |
| Middle Rockies | 94th | 95th | 94th | 25th |
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 Toston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Radersburg 9 mi · Ponderosa Pines 10 mi · Townsend 11 mi · Wheatland 15 mi · The Silos 18 mi · Gallatin River Ranch 19 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 Toston (46.1608, -111.4479); 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.