town in Washington
Honey bee forage in Creston, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 34% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 3.0 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); camelina (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Creston?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Creston, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Canola: about 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi S, blooms early May – late 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 Creston
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi NW.
How Creston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 60th | 73rd | 82nd |
| Washington | 34th | 50th | 29th | 86th |
| Columbia Plateau | 74th | 75th | 70th | 82nd |
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 Creston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wilbur 9 mi · Davenport 19 mi · Almira 20 mi · Harrington 23 mi · Keller 24 mi · Grand Coulee 26 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 Creston (47.7594, -118.5199); 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.