city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Stevenson, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cherries (nearest 1.5 mi SW); grapes (nearest 1.5 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Stevenson?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), willows)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Stevenson, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples; 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
- Cherries: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SW, blooms early Apr – late Apr
- Grapes: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SE, 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 Stevenson
Mostly: North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. 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 Stevenson ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 98th | 69th | 39th |
| Washington | 73rd | 80th | 24th | 33rd |
| Cascades | 62nd | 75th | 33rd | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Stevenson: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Carson 4 mi · North Bonneville 5 mi · White Salmon 20 mi · Bingen 21 mi · Washougal 23 mi · Fern Prairie 24 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 Stevenson (45.6947, -121.8964); 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.