city in Washington
Honey bee forage in North Bend, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (79th percentile) and lowest in fall (67th). Biggest nearby bee crops: blueberries (nearest 1.9 mi N).
When is the honey flow in North Bend?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of North Bend, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, maples; 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
- Blueberries: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi N, 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 North Bend
Mostly: North Pacific Mesic Western Hemlock-Silver Fir Forest; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 72% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% 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 North Bend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 98th | 83rd | 68th |
| Washington | 81st | 79th | 70th | 67th |
| Puget Lowland | 29th | 16th | 94th | 100th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 North Bend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Riverbend 2 mi · Riverpoint 3 mi · Wilderness Rim 3 mi · Snoqualmie 6 mi · Fall City 9 mi · Mirrormont 11 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 North Bend (47.488, -121.7688); 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.