community in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Murphy, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (68th percentile) and lowest in summer (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 3.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Murphy?
- First forage: Feb 16 (weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Murphy, 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 Apr 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): weedy mustards, native wildflowers, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, weedy mustards, yellow starthistle, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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
- Corn: about 77 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Murphy
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual and Biennial Forbland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.13 mi W.
How Murphy ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 35th | 55th | 85th |
| Idaho | 33rd | 68th | 24th | 65th |
| Snake River Plain | 38th | 61st | 33rd | 59th |
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 Murphy: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Melba 11 mi · Kuna 23 mi · Nampa 26 mi · Marsing 27 mi · Grand View 28 mi · Meridian 29 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 Murphy (43.2121, -116.5485); 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.