community in Washington

Honey bee forage in Venersborg, Washington

Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: blueberries (nearest 2.2 mi SW); strawberries (nearest 2.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); caneberries (nearest 3.6 mi SW).

When is the honey flow in Venersborg?

  • First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Venersborg, 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 21.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, himalayan blackberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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

  • Blueberries: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi SW, blooms early Apr – early May
  • Strawberries: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi S, blooms early Mar – early Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Caneberries: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SW, blooms early Mar – early Jul

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 Venersborg

Mostly: North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; 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); Strawberries: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2016). 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 Venersborg ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US98th99th79th53rd
Washington91st90th49th49th
Willamette Valley83rd69th91st100th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 46% 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 Venersborg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Lewisville 3 mi · Battle Ground 3 mi · Hockinson 4 mi · Meadow Glade 5 mi · Cherry Grove 5 mi · Brush Prairie 6 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 Venersborg (45.786, -122.4715); 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.