community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Wishram, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (59th percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 0.3 mi W); alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 3.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wishram?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wishram, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, yellow starthistle, 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
- Grapes: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late May – late Jun
- Alfalfa: about 947 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Wishram
Mostly: Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.31 mi S; open water 0.34 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 34% of acres in Washington (2025); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 34% of acres in Washington (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 93% of acres in Washington (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025); Peaches: insecticides used on about 86% of surveyed US acres (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 Wishram ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 54th | 61st | 62nd |
| Washington | 16th | 42nd | 13th | 59th |
| Columbia Plateau | 43rd | 63rd | 40th | 33rd |
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 Wishram: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Centerville 7 mi · Maryhill 8 mi · Dallesport 10 mi · Goldendale 13 mi · Klickitat 14 mi · Lyle 15 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 Wishram (45.6613, -120.9714); 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.