city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Madras, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in fall (68th percentile) and lowest in summer (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.9 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Madras?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Madras, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), weedy mustards; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 86 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi N, blooms early May – late Jun (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 Madras
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi E; open water 0.23 mi SE.
How Madras ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 58th | 66th | 74th |
| Oregon | 53rd | 67th | 55th | 68th |
| Blue Mountains | 48th | 96th | 35th | 64th |
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 Madras: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Metolius 5 mi · Warm Springs 10 mi · Culver 10 mi · Crooked River Ranch 18 mi · Terrebonne 21 mi · Ochoco West 22 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 Madras (44.6639, -121.1604); 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.