community in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Bruneau, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 1.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bruneau?
- First forage: Feb 16 (willows, weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bruneau, 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 Apr 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, dandelion; 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 525 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Bruneau
Mostly: Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi SW.
How Bruneau ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 54th | 77th | 55th |
| Idaho | 74th | 92nd | 57th | 16th |
| Snake River Plain | 73rd | 90th | 68th | 10th |
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 Bruneau: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mountain Home AFB 13 mi · Grand View 17 mi · Hammett 17 mi · Mountain Home 19 mi · Glenns Ferry 25 mi · Bliss 43 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 Bruneau (42.8728, -115.7952); 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.