city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Rufus, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (68th percentile) and lowest in fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); mint (nearest 1.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 0.5 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Rufus?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rufus, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, green/yellow rabbitbrush, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 2 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 Rufus
Mostly: Fallow / idle cropland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.18 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. 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); Peaches: insecticides used on about 86% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% 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 Rufus ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 61st | 57th | 49th |
| Oregon | 46th | 68th | 41st | 35th |
| Columbia Plateau | 43rd | 77th | 26th | 17th |
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 Rufus: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Biggs Junction 5 mi · Wasco 7 mi · Moro 14 mi · The Dalles 21 mi · Grass Valley 23 mi · Chenoweth 24 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 Rufus (45.689, -120.7461); 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.