community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Fern Prairie, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sweet corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.8 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 2.8 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Fern Prairie?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fern Prairie, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; extra 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
- Sweet corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Grapes: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi W, blooms early May – early Jun
- Blueberries: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi NW, blooms late Mar – late Apr
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 Fern Prairie
Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 64% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 34% of acres in Washington (2025); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 34% of acres in Washington (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% of acres in Washington (2025). 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 Fern Prairie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 97th | 99th | 73rd | 36th |
| Washington | 84th | 88th | 30th | 30th |
| Willamette Valley | 64th | 65th | 65th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Fern Prairie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Camas 3 mi · Washougal 4 mi · Orchards 7 mi · Hockinson 8 mi · Five Corners 9 mi · Brush Prairie 10 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 Fern Prairie (45.637, -122.3963); 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.