city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (69th percentile) and lowest in summer (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi NW); mustard (nearest 1.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lava Hot Springs?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lava Hot Springs, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; 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 869 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Lava Hot Springs
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maple Ravine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; open water 0.02 mi N.
How Lava Hot Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 36th | 73rd | 78th |
| Idaho | 51st | 69th | 47th | 50th |
| Northern Basin and Range | 93rd | 92nd | 95th | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Lava Hot Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arimo 9 mi · McCammon 9 mi · Bancroft 9 mi · Downey 14 mi · Grace 15 mi · Inkom 17 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 Lava Hot Springs (42.6201, -112.0099); 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.