city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Scotts Mills, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 1.1 mi SE); dry beans (nearest 1.2 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Scotts Mills?
- 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, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, clover/Wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Scotts Mills, 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 8.
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, clover/Wildflowers, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, clover/Wildflowers; 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
- Clover and wildflowers: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms early Apr – early Aug (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 Scotts Mills
Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi SE.
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). 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 Scotts Mills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 99th | 73rd | 14th |
| Oregon | 86th | 87th | 66th | 18th |
| Willamette Valley | 55th | 58th | 66th | 35th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Scotts Mills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Silverton 6 mi · Mount Angel 7 mi · Molalla 9 mi · Hubbard 12 mi · Woodburn 12 mi · Gervais 12 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 Scotts Mills (45.041, -122.6689); 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.