community in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Viola, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); peas (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Viola?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jul (canola, chick Peas)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Viola, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): chick Peas, canola, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): canola, chick Peas, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, 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
- Canola: about 395 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Chickpeas: about 2,426 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Viola
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Chick Peas.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi N.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 35% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Viola ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 47th | 87th | 57th |
| Idaho | 95th | 86th | 98th | 19th |
| Columbia Plateau | 89th | 46th | 96th | 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 Viola: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Moscow 8 mi · Potlatch 8 mi · Onaway 9 mi · Princeton 11 mi · Troy 14 mi · Genesee 20 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 Viola (46.8389, -117.0188); 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.