community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Malo, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); pears (nearest 3.7 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Malo?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion, maples)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers)
- 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 Malo, 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): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, serviceberry; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, willows, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 72 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Oct (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Malo
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) 0.04 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE.
How Malo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 63rd | 86th | 77th |
| Washington | 67th | 55th | 88th | 80th |
| Northern Rockies | 91st | 86th | 88th | 85th |
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 Malo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Curlew Lake 5 mi · Curlew 5 mi · Torboy 9 mi · Pine Grove 11 mi · Republic 12 mi · Danville 14 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 Malo (48.7997, -118.612); 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.