city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Donnelly, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Idaho. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Idaho sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: peas (nearest 1.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 2.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Donnelly?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (willows, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Donnelly, 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 Jun 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): willows, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Peas: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi E, blooms late 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 Donnelly
Mostly: Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.34 mi W.
How Donnelly ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 59th | 86th | 99th |
| Idaho | 99th | 95th | 97th | 98th |
| Idaho Batholith | 99th | 99th | 96th | 95th |
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 Donnelly: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McCall 12 mi · Cascade 16 mi · Council 17 mi · New Meadows 19 mi · Smiths Ferry 30 mi · Cambridge 31 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 Donnelly (44.7334, -116.0868); 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.