community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Bay View, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: blueberries (nearest 1.8 mi N); corn (nearest 1.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bay View?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bay View, 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 14.
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, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; 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
- Blueberries: about 100 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi NE, blooms early Apr – early May
- Corn: about 967 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Pumpkins: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi S, blooms early Jun – late Sep (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 Bay View
Mostly: Open water; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Open Water.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.09 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% of acres in Washington (2025); Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024); Strawberries: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2016); Caneberries: raspberries: insecticides used on about 99% of acres in Washington (2023); Caneberries: blackberries: insecticides used on about 60% of surveyed US acres (2017); Cucumbers: insecticides used on about 36% of surveyed US acres (2024). 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 Bay View ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 99th | 77th | 49th |
| Washington | 83rd | 84th | 40th | 44th |
| Puget Lowland | 33rd | 32nd | 53rd | 78th |
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 Bay View: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bow 6 mi · Edison 6 mi · Burlington 6 mi · La Conner 7 mi · Anacortes 7 mi · Mount Vernon 8 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 View (48.487, -122.4626); 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.