community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Basin City, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 0.2 mi E); dry beans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Basin City?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Basin City, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, apples; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, apples; white, 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 2,619 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SW, blooms late May – late Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Apples: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Apr – late Apr
- Dry beans: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 75 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Basin City
Mostly: Apples; Alfalfa; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2025); Peaches: insecticides used on about 86% 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 Basin City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 69th | 89th | 98th |
| Washington | 79th | 62nd | 98th | 99th |
| Columbia Plateau | 98th | 88th | 98th | 99th |
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 Basin City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mesa 7 mi · Connell 16 mi · Othello 16 mi · Hatton 20 mi · Richland 22 mi · West Richland 22 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 Basin City (46.589, -119.1566); 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.