community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Buena, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (right here); cherries (nearest 0.5 mi E); pears (nearest 0.5 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Buena?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, cherries, apples)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Apr 30, peaking late Apr (apples, cherries, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Buena, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): apples, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, cherries; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): apples, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra 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
- Apples: about 1,187 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Apr – late Apr
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 Buena
Mostly: Apples; Grapes; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2025); Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 93% of acres in Washington (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025); Pears: insecticides used on about 69% of acres in Washington (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 Buena ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 98th | 64th | 54th |
| Washington | 77th | 84th | 17th | 49th |
| Columbia Plateau | 98th | 99th | 49th | 21st |
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 Buena: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Zillah 3 mi · Toppenish 3 mi · Wapato 5 mi · Donald 5 mi · Granger 8 mi · Parker 9 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 Buena (46.4277, -120.3182); 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.