city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Winchester, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Winchester?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (canola, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Winchester, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, canola, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): canola, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Canola: about 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, 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 Winchester
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Other Hay/Non Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi S.
How Winchester ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 53rd | 85th | 72nd |
| Idaho | 94th | 91st | 92nd | 39th |
| Northern Rockies | 75th | 64th | 75th | 81st |
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 Winchester: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Reubens 7 mi · Craigmont 7 mi · Culdesac 10 mi · Sweetwater 12 mi · Ferdinand 13 mi · Lapwai 14 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 Winchester (46.2408, -116.6241); 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.