community in Oregon

Honey bee forage in Bellfountain, Oregon

Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.0 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 1.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Bellfountain?

  • First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples)
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
  • Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bellfountain, 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 12.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, 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

  • Corn: about 72 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
  • Clover and wildflowers: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Apr – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Sweet corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 Bellfountain

Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi E.

Things to watch

  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024); Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% 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 Bellfountain ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US93rd98th76th34th
Oregon84th85th70th28th
Willamette Valley50th49th79th82nd

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 Bellfountain: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Alpine 2 mi · Monroe 4 mi · Peoria 10 mi · Harrisburg 12 mi · Alsea 12 mi · Philomath 12 mi

All towns in Oregon · National map · How the scoring works

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 Bellfountain (44.3654, -123.3559); 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.