community in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Princeton, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: chickpeas (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Princeton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (canola, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Princeton, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, chick Peas, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red, chick Peas; 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
- Chickpeas: about 61 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 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 Princeton
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.31 mi NW.
How Princeton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 49th | 76th | 57th |
| Idaho | 68th | 88th | 56th | 19th |
| Columbia Plateau | 65th | 52nd | 77th | 26th |
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 Princeton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Onaway 3 mi · Potlatch 3 mi · Viola 11 mi · Troy 13 mi · Deary 15 mi · Moscow 15 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 Princeton (46.9172, -116.8261); 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.