community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Wineglass, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (75th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wineglass?
- First forage: Apr 16 (native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wineglass, 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, arrowleaf balsamroot, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, native wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, dandelion; 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 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Wineglass
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi N.
How Wineglass ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 32nd | 77th | 96th |
| Montana | 81st | 77th | 75th | 88th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 82nd | 65th | 82nd | 90th |
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 Wineglass: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Livingston 4 mi · Pine Creek 9 mi · Pray 15 mi · Clyde Park 18 mi · Bridger 18 mi · Emigrant 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 Wineglass (45.628, -110.6233); 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.