city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in St. Charles, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (66th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in St. Charles?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of St. Charles, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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 209 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Jul – early Sep (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 St. Charles
Mostly: Open water; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Riparian Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi NW.
How St. Charles ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 52nd | 79th | 93rd |
| Idaho | 86th | 90th | 66th | 80th |
| Wyoming Basin | 100th | 100th | 99th | 92nd |
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 St. Charles: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bloomington 6 mi · Paris 8 mi · Montpelier 16 mi · Bennington 19 mi · Franklin 22 mi · Preston 25 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 St. Charles (42.1118, -111.3903); 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.