town in Washington
Honey bee forage in Wilbur, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 1.6 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wilbur?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wilbur, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Canola: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms early May – late Jul (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 Wilbur
Mostly: Fallow / idle cropland; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi W.
How Wilbur ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 70th | 78th | 83rd |
| Washington | 54th | 62nd | 46th | 87th |
| Columbia Plateau | 88th | 89th | 81st | 84th |
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 Wilbur: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Creston 9 mi · Almira 11 mi · Grand Coulee 18 mi · Electric City 19 mi · Coulee Dam 19 mi · Hartline 19 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 Wilbur (47.7581, -118.7119); 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.