city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Sprague, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 3.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sprague?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking late May (native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sprague, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; light amber, 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
- Alfalfa: about 253 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Oct (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi W, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 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 Sprague
Mostly: Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Columbia Plateau Scabland Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi W.
How Sprague ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 59th | 66th | 88th |
| Washington | 28th | 49th | 18th | 91st |
| Columbia Plateau | 66th | 73rd | 53rd | 91st |
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 Sprague: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lamont 8 mi · Harrington 18 mi · Cheney 22 mi · Medical Lake 23 mi · Ritzville 23 mi · St. John 23 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 Sprague (47.3049, -117.9713); 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.