community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Ocosta, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cranberries (nearest 3.5 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Ocosta?
- First forage: Feb 1 (willows, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, maples)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ocosta, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, huckleberries; 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): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, huckleberries; 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
- Cranberries: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi SW, blooms early May – early Jun
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 Ocosta
Mostly: Open water; North Pacific Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest; North Pacific Lowland Riparian Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi NE.
How Ocosta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 99th | 65th | 18th |
| Washington | 83rd | 90th | 18th | 17th |
| Coast Range | 53rd | 64th | 50th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 Ocosta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Markham 3 mi · Cohassett Beach 4 mi · Grayland 4 mi · Westport 4 mi · Ocean Shores 8 mi · Hoquiam 9 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 Ocosta (46.8855, -124.0325); 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.