community in Montana
Honey bee forage in White Haven, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in White Haven?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of White Haven, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 White Haven
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi E.
How White Haven ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 79th | 84th | 67th |
| Montana | 98th | 100th | 91st | 17th |
| Northern Rockies | 92nd | 98th | 67th | 74th |
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 White Haven: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pioneer Junction 2 mi · Libby 3 mi · Bull Lake 18 mi · Troy 19 mi · Happys Inn 27 mi · Noxon 28 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 White Haven (48.3478, -115.516); 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.