community in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Bly, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 20% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in fall (53rd percentile) and lowest in summer (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bly?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bly, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NW, blooms early 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 Bly
Mostly: North American Arid West Emergent Marsh; Columbia Plateau Western Juniper Woodland and Savanna; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N.
How Bly ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 16th | 29th | 39th | 65th |
| Oregon | 20th | 39th | 21st | 53rd |
| Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills | 21st | 44th | 13th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Bly: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Beatty 12 mi · Bonanza 23 mi · Sprague River 24 mi · Malin 32 mi · Paisley 33 mi · Altamont 37 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 Bly (42.3917, -121.0435); 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.