community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Inchelium, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in summer (68th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Inchelium?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Inchelium, 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): willows, snowberry, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; dark amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, fireweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
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 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Oct (grown 3 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 Inchelium
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi S.
How Inchelium ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 66th | 83rd | 52nd |
| Washington | 53rd | 59th | 68th | 47th |
| Northern Rockies | 76th | 90th | 55th | 39th |
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 Inchelium: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Twin Lakes 9 mi · Barney's Junction 19 mi · Kettle Falls 19 mi · Addy 19 mi · Colville 20 mi · Marcus 22 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 Inchelium (48.3637, -118.2456); 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.