community in Montana
Honey bee forage in West Glendive, 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 (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NW); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in West Glendive?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of West Glendive, 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, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 106 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms late 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 West Glendive
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 52% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How West Glendive ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 62nd | 77th | 90th |
| Montana | 93rd | 99th | 75th | 68th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 91st | 100th | 82nd | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 West Glendive: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Glendive 2 mi · Lindsay 20 mi · Bloomfield 23 mi · Fallon 26 mi · Wibaux 28 mi · Savage 31 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 West Glendive (47.1061, -104.7533); 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.