city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Ketchum, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ketchum?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ketchum, 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 Jun 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, native wildflowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, native wildflowers; light 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 2.5 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late 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 Ketchum
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry-Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 59% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Ketchum ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 37th | 82nd | 95th |
| Idaho | 86th | 71st | 82nd | 86th |
| Idaho Batholith | 86th | 82nd | 72nd | 71st |
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 Ketchum: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sun Valley 2 mi · Hailey 13 mi · Bellevue 16 mi · Gannett 25 mi · Fairfield 32 mi · Carey 34 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 Ketchum (43.6872, -114.3725); 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.