community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Twin Creeks, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Twin Creeks?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Twin Creeks, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, snowberry, native wildflowers, serviceberry; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, fireweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; dark 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 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Twin Creeks
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.35 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.38 mi W.
How Twin Creeks ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 46th | 79th | 59th |
| Montana | 83rd | 95th | 79th | 9th |
| Middle Rockies | 92nd | 98th | 91st | 5th |
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 Twin Creeks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Turah 7 mi · Piltzville 7 mi · Potomac 7 mi · Bonner-West Riverside 8 mi · Clinton 10 mi · East Missoula 11 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 Twin Creeks (46.9106, -113.7266); 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.