community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Sunnyslope, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cherries (nearest 0.7 mi SW); apples (nearest 1.3 mi SW); pears (nearest 3.1 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Sunnyslope?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sunnyslope, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): weedy mustards, dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, snowberry, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, dandelion, weedy mustards; 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
- Cherries: about 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi S, blooms early Apr – early May
- Apples: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi S, blooms late 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 Sunnyslope
Mostly: Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Cliff and Canyon.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.62 mi S.
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); Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (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 Sunnyslope ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 56th | 72nd | 81st |
| Washington | 31st | 45th | 28th | 85th |
| Columbia Plateau | 70th | 68th | 68th | 80th |
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 Sunnyslope: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wenatchee 5 mi · Cashmere 5 mi · East Wenatchee 7 mi · South Wenatchee 8 mi · Entiat 13 mi · Rock Island 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 Sunnyslope (47.5048, -120.3532); 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.