community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Orient, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (65th percentile) and lowest in fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orient?
- First forage: Mar 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Jun (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orient, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Oct (grown 2 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 Orient
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi E.
How Orient ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 75th | 80th | 41st |
| Washington | 55th | 65th | 57th | 35th |
| Northern Rockies | 78th | 97th | 33rd | 19th |
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 Orient: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Barstow 7 mi · Laurier 9 mi · Boyds 10 mi · Marcus 15 mi · Danville 16 mi · Barney's Junction 17 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 Orient (48.8638, -118.2059); 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.