community in Washington

Honey bee forage in Outlook, Washington

Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in summer (87th percentile) and lowest in spring (67th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE); apples (nearest 0.6 mi S); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi S).

When is the honey flow in Outlook?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples)
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Apr 30, peaking late Apr (apples, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Fall flow: May 16 to Sep 15 (alfalfa)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Outlook, 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 20.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, apples; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, apples; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months

Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.

Bee crops within flight range

  • Corn: about 1,293 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
  • Apples: about 157 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SW, blooms early Apr – late Apr
  • Alfalfa: about 131 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late May – late Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
  • Cherries: about 80 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms early Apr – late Apr
  • Grapes: about 634 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi S, blooms late May – late 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 Outlook

Mostly: Grapes; Apples; Corn.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SW.

Things to watch

  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2025); Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 93% of acres in Washington (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 34% of acres in Washington (2025); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 34% of acres in Washington (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (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 Outlook ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US89th79th86th81st
Washington74th67th87th84th
Columbia Plateau96th92nd95th78th

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 Outlook: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Sunnyside 4 mi · Granger 5 mi · Mabton 10 mi · Zillah 10 mi · Grandview 11 mi · Toppenish 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 Outlook (46.3312, -120.0928); 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.