city in Washington

Honey bee forage in McCleary, Washington

Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, 0.1 mi NW.

When is the honey flow in McCleary?

  • First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking early May (summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of McCleary, 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 23.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
  • Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, himalayan blackberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around McCleary

Mostly: North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; North Pacific Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi NW.

How McCleary ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US98th99th80th32nd
Washington89th88th53rd27th
Coast Range65th56th75th93rd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 71% 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 McCleary: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Malone 5 mi · Elma 8 mi · Porter 8 mi · Satsop 10 mi · Brady 13 mi · Shelton 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 McCleary (47.0585, -123.2696); 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.