community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Methow, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (right here); pears (nearest 0.3 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Methow?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: May 1 to May 15, peaking early May (apples, native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Methow, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): apples, native wildflowers, weedy mustards, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, native wildflowers, snowberry; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, native wildflowers, apples; 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
- Apples: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Apr – late May
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 Methow
Mostly: Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi N.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2025); Pears: insecticides used on about 69% of acres in Washington (2025); 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). 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 Methow ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 70th | 67th | 84th |
| Washington | 36th | 62nd | 20th | 87th |
| Columbia Plateau | 76th | 89th | 56th | 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 Methow: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pateros 7 mi · Brewster 11 mi · Twisp 17 mi · Bridgeport 18 mi · Malott 18 mi · Manson 19 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 Methow (48.1311, -120.0052); 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.