community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Chuichu, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (74th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); watermelons (nearest 3.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chuichu?
- First forage: Jan 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chuichu, 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 Feb 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cotton: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Apr – early 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 Chuichu
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% 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 Chuichu ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 15th | 43rd | 8th | 26th |
| Arizona | 77th | 74th | 49th | 26th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 81st | 80th | 87th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 88% 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 Chuichu: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arizona City 7 mi · Vaiva Vo 9 mi · Eloy 11 mi · Tat Momoli 11 mi · Casa Grande 12 mi · Stanfield 14 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 Chuichu (32.7403, -111.7822); 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.