community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Puget Island, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: caneberries (nearest 3.2 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Puget Island?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Puget Island, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Caneberries: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi S, 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 Puget Island
Mostly: Open water; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; Temperate Pacific Freshwater Emergent Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi NE.
How Puget Island ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 91st | 62nd | 59th |
| Washington | 47th | 72nd | 13th | 55th |
| Coast Range | 24th | 24th | 46th | 99th |
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 Puget Island: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
East Cathlamet 2 mi · Cathlamet 2 mi · Lower Elochoman 3 mi · Upper Elochoman 5 mi · Skamokawa Valley 10 mi · Altoona 13 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 Puget Island (46.1757, -123.3819); 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.