community in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Blanchard, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); buckwheat (nearest 1.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Blanchard?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Blanchard, 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, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Oct (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Buckwheat: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Oct (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 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 Blanchard
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi N.
How Blanchard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 73rd | 83rd | 73rd |
| Idaho | 97th | 99th | 86th | 42nd |
| Northern Rockies | 88th | 96th | 59th | 83rd |
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 Blanchard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spirit Lake 7 mi · Oldtown 12 mi · Priest River 13 mi · Athol 14 mi · Laclede 16 mi · Rathdrum 16 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 Blanchard (48.011, -116.9952); 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.