city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Spencer, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in fall (62nd percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.4 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Spencer?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jun (native wildflowers, snowberry, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spencer, 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 Jun 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), arrowleaf balsamroot, willows; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, snowberry; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Spencer
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi NE.
How Spencer ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 37th | 27th | 66th | 83rd |
| Idaho | 39th | 58th | 37th | 62nd |
| Middle Rockies | 69th | 87th | 57th | 44th |
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 Spencer: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dubois 14 mi · Hamer 30 mi · Parker 35 mi · St. Anthony 37 mi · Mud Lake 39 mi · Sugar City 40 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 Spencer (44.3678, -112.1843); 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.