community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Utica, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in spring (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 2.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Utica?
- First forage: Apr 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Utica, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, 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, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 2,694 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, 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 Utica
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Alfalfa; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NW.
How Utica ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 27th | 80th | 98th |
| Montana | 86th | 61st | 80th | 92nd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 86th | 42nd | 85th | 95th |
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 Utica: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Windham 8 mi · Sapphire Ridge 9 mi · Moccasin 11 mi · Hobson 11 mi · Stanford 14 mi · Surprise Creek Colony 18 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 Utica (46.9678, -110.0935); 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.