community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Deming, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: blueberries (nearest 0.5 mi W); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); caneberries (nearest 1.8 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Deming?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, willows, maples)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Deming, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red, himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, himalayan blackberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, huckleberries; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red, himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Blueberries: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms early Apr – early May
- Corn: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Caneberries: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NW, blooms early Mar – early Jul
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 Deming
Mostly: North Pacific Mesic Western Hemlock-Silver Fir Forest; North Pacific Lowland Mixed Hardwood-Conifer Forest; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% of acres in Washington (2025); Caneberries: raspberries: insecticides used on about 99% of acres in Washington (2023); Caneberries: blackberries: insecticides used on about 60% of surveyed US acres (2017). 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 Deming ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 99th | 79th | 23rd |
| Washington | 90th | 90th | 50th | 20th |
| North Cascades | 98th | 99th | 30th | 15th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Deming: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kendall 8 mi · Nooksack 8 mi · Everson 8 mi · Acme 8 mi · Sudden Valley 9 mi · Maple Falls 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 Deming (48.8304, -122.2361); 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.