community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Nespelem Community, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 2.4 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 3.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Nespelem Community?
- First forage: Apr 1 (arrowleaf balsamroot, native wildflowers, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Nespelem Community, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, snowberry, arrowleaf balsamroot, weedy mustards; extra light amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, native wildflowers; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle; light amber
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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi SW, blooms early May – late May
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – early 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 Nespelem Community
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.59 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (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 Nespelem Community ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 44th | 73rd | 82nd |
| Washington | 25th | 25th | 30th | 86th |
| Columbia Plateau | 61st | 37th | 71st | 82nd |
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 Nespelem Community: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nespelem 4 mi · Elmer City 12 mi · Coulee Dam 14 mi · Disautel 15 mi · Grand Coulee 16 mi · Keller 16 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 Nespelem Community (48.1625, -119.0487); 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.