city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Oldtown, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oldtown?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oldtown, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Oldtown
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.17 mi SW.
How Oldtown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 64th | 78th | 63rd |
| Idaho | 86th | 97th | 60th | 25th |
| Northern Rockies | 57th | 86th | 7th | 65th |
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 Oldtown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Priest River 5 mi · Blanchard 12 mi · Laclede 13 mi · Spirit Lake 17 mi · Dover 20 mi · Coolin 22 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 Oldtown (48.184, -117.0244); 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.