community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Bow, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: blueberries (nearest 0.3 mi SW); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); caneberries (nearest 0.4 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Bow?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, caneberries)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, blueberries, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bow, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): blueberries, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clover/Wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), pumpkins, alfalfa, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, blueberries, clovers: white, alsike and red, clover/Wildflowers; 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 151 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Apr – late Apr
- Corn: about 120 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Caneberries: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early Mar – early Jul
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 Bow
Mostly: North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; Open water; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% of acres in Washington (2025); Caneberries: raspberries: insecticides used on about 99% of acres in Washington (2023); Caneberries: blackberries: insecticides used on about 60% of surveyed US acres (2017); Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024); Squash: insecticides used on about 71% 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 Bow ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 93rd | 75th | 40th |
| Washington | 64th | 73rd | 33rd | 33rd |
| Puget Lowland | 9th | 6th | 39th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Bow: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Edison 1 mi · Alger 5 mi · Bay View 6 mi · Burlington 7 mi · Sedro-Woolley 9 mi · Mount Vernon 11 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 Bow (48.5613, -122.4078); 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.