city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Mitchell, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 15% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in fall (54th percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 3.4 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Mitchell?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, arrowleaf balsamroot, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 30, peaking early May (native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mitchell, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, arrowleaf balsamroot; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Grapes: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Jul
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 Mitchell
Mostly: Columbia Plateau Western Juniper Woodland and Savanna; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.47 mi SW.
How Mitchell ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 13th | 26th | 33rd | 66th |
| Oregon | 15th | 34th | 13th | 54th |
| Blue Mountains | 10th | 31st | 7th | 39th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Mitchell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spray 25 mi · Fossil 29 mi · Dayville 31 mi · Antelope 36 mi · Lonerock 38 mi · Juniper Canyon 39 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 Mitchell (44.5737, -120.1529); 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.