city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Sumas, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); blueberries (nearest 0.8 mi E); caneberries (nearest 2.0 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Sumas?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, caneberries)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to May 15, peaking late Apr (blueberries, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, caneberries)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sumas, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, blueberries, caneberries; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, blueberries, caneberries; 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
- Corn: about 1,703 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Blueberries: about 447 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Apr – early May
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 Sumas
Mostly: Unmapped; Corn; Blueberries.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% of acres in Washington (2025); Caneberries: raspberries: insecticides used on about 99% of acres in Washington (2023); Caneberries: blackberries: insecticides used on about 60% of surveyed US acres (2017). 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 Sumas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 94th | 78th | 32nd |
| Washington | 67th | 73rd | 44th | 27th |
| Puget Lowland | 10th | 7th | 62nd | 48th |
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 Sumas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nooksack 5 mi · Peaceful Valley 6 mi · Everson 7 mi · Kendall 8 mi · Lynden 9 mi · Maple Falls 10 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 Sumas (48.9955, -122.2685); 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.