community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Torboy, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in summer (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); pears (nearest 1.7 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Torboy?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion, maples)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Torboy, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, snowberry, native wildflowers, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Oct (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Pears: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SW, blooms early May – late 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 Torboy
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pears: insecticides used on about 69% 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 Torboy ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 62nd | 86th | 72nd |
| Washington | 65th | 54th | 86th | 73rd |
| Northern Rockies | 88th | 84th | 86th | 82nd |
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 Torboy: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pine Grove 1 mi · Republic 3 mi · Curlew Lake 4 mi · Malo 9 mi · Curlew 15 mi · Danville 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 Torboy (48.6693, -118.669); 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.