city in Oregon

Honey bee forage in Corvallis, Oregon

Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (79th percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 2.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Corvallis?

  • First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Corvallis, 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 9.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra 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

  • Corn: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Clover and wildflowers: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SE, blooms early Apr – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Dry beans: about 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Pumpkins: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi E, blooms late May – late Sep (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 Corvallis

Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.7 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.81 mi SW.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 95% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024); Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). 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 Corvallis ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US80th96th64th43rd
Oregon77th79th51st32nd
Willamette Valley19th23rd21st93rd

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

Nearby

Philomath 4 mi · Adair Village 8 mi · Tangent 8 mi · Peoria 9 mi · Albany 10 mi · Shedd 11 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 Corvallis (44.5699, -123.2783); 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.