community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Bagdad, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bagdad?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 15, peaking late Mar (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bagdad, 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 Mar 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Alfalfa: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms early May – late Jun (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 Bagdad
Mostly: Sonoran Mid-Elevation Desert Scrub; Mogollon Chaparral; Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi NE.
How Bagdad ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 87th | 13th | 17th |
| Arizona | 96th | 98th | 63rd | 13th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 99th | 99th | 33rd | 20th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Bagdad: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wikieup 25 mi · Alamo Lake 29 mi · Peeples Valley 31 mi · Yarnell 34 mi · Wilhoit 34 mi · Congress 34 mi
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 Bagdad (34.5772, -113.1768); 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.