city in Idaho

Honey bee forage in Albion, Idaho

Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (51st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Albion?

  • First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Albion, 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 14.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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, dry Beans; light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 1,297 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Dry beans: about 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late 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 Albion

Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi W.

How Albion ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US69th38th83rd78th
Idaho83rd73rd84th51st
Northern Basin and Range99th94th99th34th

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 Albion: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Declo 8 mi · Malta 13 mi · Burley 14 mi · Heyburn 14 mi · Rupert 15 mi · Paul 17 mi

All towns in Idaho · National map · How the scoring works

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 Albion (42.4098, -113.5804); 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.