city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Ferdinand, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ferdinand?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (canola)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ferdinand, 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): canola, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): canola, alfalfa, chick Peas, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): canola, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), chick Peas; white, 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
- Canola: about 212 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early May – late Jul (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 Ferdinand
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 45% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Ferdinand ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 52nd | 91st | 76th |
| Idaho | 99th | 90th | 100th | 47th |
| Columbia Plateau | 97th | 58th | 99th | 67th |
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 Ferdinand: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cottonwood 7 mi · Craigmont 7 mi · Nezperce 9 mi · Winchester 13 mi · Reubens 14 mi · Kamiah 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 Ferdinand (46.1519, -116.39); 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.