city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Colfax, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in Washington. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Washington sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: chickpeas (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Colfax?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (chick Peas, canola, snowberry)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Colfax, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): chick Peas, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): chick Peas, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Chickpeas: about 487 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 588 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (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 Colfax
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Spring Wheat; Chick Peas.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi E.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 55% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Colfax ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 49th | 78th | 47th |
| Washington | 28th | 33rd | 42nd | 41st |
| Columbia Plateau | 66th | 50th | 79th | 14th |
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 Colfax: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Steptoe 7 mi · Albion 9 mi · Garfield 11 mi · Palouse 12 mi · Pullman 15 mi · Oakesdale 15 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 Colfax (46.9147, -117.3232); 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.