community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Twodot, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in summer (79th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); mustard (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Twodot?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Twodot, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, 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 89 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Twodot
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE.
How Twodot ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 46th | 79th | 94th |
| Montana | 90th | 95th | 79th | 80th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 89th | 96th | 84th | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Twodot: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Duncan Ranch Colony 3 mi · Martinsdale Colony 10 mi · Harlowton 11 mi · Martinsdale 12 mi · Springwater Colony 15 mi · Judith Gap 23 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 Twodot (46.4223, -110.0727); 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.