city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Wapato, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (74th percentile) and lowest in summer (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 0.4 mi S); corn (nearest 0.7 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Wapato?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to May 15, peaking late Apr (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, apples)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wapato, 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, dandelion, apples, willows; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra 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
- Apples: about 4,081 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi NW, blooms early Apr – early May
- Corn: about 255 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 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 Wapato
Mostly: Apples; Corn; Grapes.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.3 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 61% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. 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 Wapato ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 94th | 75th | 62nd |
| Washington | 68th | 74th | 35th | 59th |
| Columbia Plateau | 93rd | 97th | 74th | 34th |
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 Wapato: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Donald 3 mi · Parker 5 mi · Buena 5 mi · Harrah 6 mi · Toppenish 7 mi · Zillah 7 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 Wapato (46.4436, -120.4215); 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.