city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Mackay, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); mustard (nearest 1.9 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mackay?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (alfalfa, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mackay, 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 31.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1,489 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Mackay
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Columbia Plateau Low Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.37 mi W.
How Mackay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 50th | 80th | 97th |
| Idaho | 90th | 88th | 69th | 92nd |
| Middle Rockies | 96th | 98th | 92nd | 89th |
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 Mackay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lost River 15 mi · Moore 17 mi · Arco 25 mi · Butte City 28 mi · Sun Valley 39 mi · Ketchum 41 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 Mackay (43.912, -113.6127); 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.