city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Hope, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hope?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, huckleberries, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hope, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, huckleberries, snowberry, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, huckleberries, willows, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Hope
Mostly: Open water; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.37 mi SW; open water 0.37 mi SW.
How Hope ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 43rd | 71st | 38th |
| Idaho | 46th | 80th | 44th | 6th |
| Northern Rockies | 1st | 45th | 1st | 16th |
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 Hope: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
East Hope 1 mi · Clark Fork 9 mi · Kootenai 11 mi · Ponderay 11 mi · Sandpoint 12 mi · Dover 14 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 Hope (48.2504, -116.3046); 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.