city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Hollister, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hollister?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hollister, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, weedy mustards, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, native wildflowers, yellow starthistle; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, yellow starthistle, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 89 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 Hollister
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.6 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.61 mi NW.
How Hollister ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 48th | 72nd | 95th |
| Idaho | 69th | 87th | 46th | 85th |
| Northern Basin and Range | 97th | 98th | 94th | 92nd |
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 Hollister: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Filer 15 mi · Twin Falls 16 mi · Kimberly 17 mi · Castleford 19 mi · Hansen 19 mi · Buhl 19 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 Hollister (42.3529, -114.5838); 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.