town in Washington
Honey bee forage in Ione, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (62nd percentile) and lowest in summer (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ione?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ione, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, huckleberries; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NE, 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 Ione
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi N.
How Ione ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 62nd | 79th | 64th |
| Washington | 42nd | 53rd | 47th | 62nd |
| Northern Rockies | 59th | 84th | 14th | 69th |
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 Ione: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Metaline 8 mi · Metaline Falls 9 mi · Northport 20 mi · Colville 26 mi · Cusick 29 mi · Marcus 30 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 Ione (48.7398, -117.422); 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.