city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Franklin, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Franklin?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Franklin, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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
- Alfalfa: about 1,569 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Franklin
Mostly: Alfalfa; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Perennial Grassland and Forbland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Franklin ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 45th | 84th | 71st |
| Idaho | 89th | 83rd | 90th | 37th |
| Central Basin and Range | 98th | 93rd | 99th | 45th |
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 Franklin: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Preston 7 mi · Weston 9 mi · Dayton 12 mi · Clifton 16 mi · Oxford 21 mi · St. Charles 22 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 Franklin (42.0095, -111.8022); 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.