community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Orchards, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in summer (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: strawberries (nearest 1.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 2.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orchards?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orchards, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, maples; extra 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
- Strawberries: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi NW, blooms early Mar – late May (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi NW, blooms late May – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi N, blooms late Apr – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Caneberries: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi NW, blooms early Mar – early Jul
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 Orchards
Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.27 mi SW; pond, lake or river 1.36 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 91% 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. Strawberries: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2016); Caneberries: raspberries: insecticides used on about 99% of acres in Washington (2023); Caneberries: blackberries: insecticides used on about 60% of surveyed US acres (2017). 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 Orchards ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 97th | 67th | 52nd |
| Washington | 65th | 76th | 21st | 48th |
| Willamette Valley | 26th | 27th | 33rd | 99th |
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 Orchards: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Five Corners 2 mi · Brush Prairie 3 mi · Hockinson 4 mi · Barberton 4 mi · Meadow Glade 5 mi · Minnehaha 5 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 Orchards (45.689, -122.5306); 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.