town in Montana
Honey bee forage in Whitehall, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (82nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Whitehall?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Whitehall, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, willows; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 196 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Whitehall
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi N; open water 0.32 mi NE.
How Whitehall ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 62nd | 84th | 95th |
| Montana | 97th | 99th | 90th | 82nd |
| Middle Rockies | 98th | 99th | 96th | 76th |
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 Whitehall: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cardwell 6 mi · Rader Creek 11 mi · Mammoth 14 mi · Silver Star 16 mi · Pony 18 mi · Harrison 19 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 Whitehall (45.871, -112.0976); 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.