community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Bitter Springs, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (68th percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.2 mi SE.
When is the honey flow in Bitter Springs?
- First forage: Mar 1 (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bitter Springs, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, green/yellow rabbitbrush, asters, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Bitter Springs
Mostly: Southern Colorado Plateau Sand Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock Canyon and Tableland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi SE; open water 1.1 mi N.
How Bitter Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 8th | 37th | 10th | 41st |
| Arizona | 52nd | 68th | 56th | 64th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 36th | 82nd | 17th | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 81% 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 Bitter Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
LeChee 21 mi · Page 24 mi · Greenehaven 27 mi · Kaibito 30 mi · Tuba City 40 mi · Moenkopi 42 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 Bitter Springs (36.6128, -111.6464); 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.