community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Suncrest, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in Washington. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Washington sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi W); buckwheat (nearest 1.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 1.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Suncrest?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Suncrest, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Oct (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Buckwheat: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Oct (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 Suncrest
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.46 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.56 mi NW.
How Suncrest ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 74th | 83rd | 68th |
| Washington | 62nd | 64th | 67th | 67th |
| Northern Rockies | 87th | 97th | 54th | 75th |
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 Suncrest: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fairwood 10 mi · Country Homes 10 mi · Town and Country 11 mi · Deer Park 12 mi · Clayton 12 mi · Mead 12 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 Suncrest (47.8285, -117.603); 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.