community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Bay Center, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (14th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Bay Center?
- First forage: Feb 1 (willows, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, maples, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bay Center, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Bay Center
Mostly: Open water; North Pacific Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest; Aquaculture.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.07 mi SE.
How Bay Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 98th | 62nd | 39th |
| Washington | 74th | 81st | 14th | 32nd |
| Coast Range | 35th | 41st | 46th | 95th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Bay Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tokeland 6 mi · South Bend 8 mi · Ocean Park 10 mi · Raymond 11 mi · Willapa 14 mi · Grayland 17 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 Bay Center (46.6208, -123.9532); 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.