city in Montana

Honey bee forage in Troy, Montana

Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (8th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, less than 0.1 mi away.

When is the honey flow in Troy?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
  • Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Troy, 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): dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, huckleberries; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid

Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.

Bee crops within flight range

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around Troy

Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi S.

How Troy ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US74th65th80th58th
Montana93rd99th81st8th
Northern Rockies66th88th23rd54th

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 Troy: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Bull Lake 16 mi · Libby 16 mi · Sylvanite 17 mi · White Haven 19 mi · Pioneer Junction 20 mi · Yaak 27 mi

All towns in Montana · National map · How the scoring works

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 Troy (48.4601, -115.8908); 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.