city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Oakley, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (59th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); mustard (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oakley?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oakley, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, mustard, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, dry Beans; 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; 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 493 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Mustard: about 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 163 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, 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 Oakley
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi W.
How Oakley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 49th | 85th | 82nd |
| Idaho | 94th | 88th | 92nd | 59th |
| Snake River Plain | 91st | 86th | 91st | 52nd |
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 Oakley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Albion 19 mi · Burley 21 mi · Murtaugh 22 mi · Heyburn 23 mi · Declo 23 mi · Paul 26 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 Oakley (42.2421, -113.8831); 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.