city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Midvale, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); corn (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Midvale?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Midvale, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, yellow starthistle; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, 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 715 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 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 Midvale
Mostly: Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi S.
How Midvale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 40th | 86th | 61st |
| Idaho | 92nd | 74th | 97th | 24th |
| Snake River Plain | 87th | 69th | 96th | 15th |
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 Midvale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cambridge 8 mi · Weiser 18 mi · Council 24 mi · Payette 28 mi · Fruitland 32 mi · New Plymouth 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 Midvale (44.4623, -116.7407); 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.