city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Gooding, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gooding?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gooding, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 1,641 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 424 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, 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 Gooding
Mostly: Corn; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.51 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 63% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Gooding ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 70th | 85th | 82nd |
| Idaho | 98th | 98th | 92nd | 58th |
| Snake River Plain | 97th | 96th | 90th | 51st |
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 Gooding: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wendell 11 mi · Bliss 12 mi · Hagerman 13 mi · Shoshone 16 mi · Jerome 18 mi · Dietrich 23 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 Gooding (42.937, -114.7132); 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.