city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Chewelah, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi NE).
When is the honey flow in Chewelah?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chewelah, 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 May 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; 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
- Alfalfa: about 782 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Oct (grown 5 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 Chewelah
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi NE.
How Chewelah ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 72nd | 86th | 99th |
| Washington | 74th | 63rd | 86th | 100th |
| Northern Rockies | 98th | 96th | 86th | 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 Chewelah: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Valley 8 mi · Addy 8 mi · Loon Lake 15 mi · Springdale 16 mi · Cusick 20 mi · Colville 20 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 Chewelah (48.2826, -117.7169); 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.