community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Barstow, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Washington. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Washington sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Barstow?
- First forage: Mar 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, willows)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barstow, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, alfalfa, willows, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 399 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Oct (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 Barstow
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Barstow ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 79th | 83rd | 73rd |
| Washington | 68th | 67th | 70th | 74th |
| Northern Rockies | 91st | 98th | 59th | 82nd |
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 Barstow: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Boyds 4 mi · Orient 7 mi · Marcus 9 mi · Barney's Junction 11 mi · Kettle Falls 12 mi · Laurier 16 mi
All towns in Washington · 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 Barstow (48.7783, -118.1329); 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.