community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Curlew, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (60th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Curlew?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Curlew, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, dandelion; 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
- Alfalfa: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Curlew
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; 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 mi S.
How Curlew ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 67th | 86th | 82nd |
| Washington | 68th | 60th | 84th | 86th |
| Northern Rockies | 91st | 91st | 83rd | 89th |
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 Curlew: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Malo 5 mi · Danville 9 mi · Curlew Lake 10 mi · Torboy 15 mi · Pine Grove 16 mi · Republic 17 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 Curlew (48.8777, -118.6045); 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.