city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Banks, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); strawberries (nearest 0.8 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Banks?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Banks, 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 Apr 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Clover and wildflowers: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms early Apr – early Aug (grown 2 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 Banks
Mostly: North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Sod/Grass Seed.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi N.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Strawberries: insecticides used on about 96% of surveyed US acres (2025); Blueberries: insecticides used on about 74% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Banks ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 98th | 89th | 26th |
| Oregon | 94th | 84th | 99th | 26th |
| Willamette Valley | 86th | 46th | 99th | 73rd |
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 Banks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Plains 6 mi · Forest Grove 6 mi · Cornelius 7 mi · Dilley 9 mi · Hillsboro 10 mi · Rockcreek 12 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 Banks (45.6149, -123.1071); 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.