community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Cienega Springs, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 48% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it ranks highest in spring (47th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Expect a dearth in late May.
When is the honey flow in Cienega Springs?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Dearth: May 16 to May 31
- Dearth: Jun 16 to Jun 30
- Fall flow: May 1 to May 15 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cienega 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 Feb 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, rabbitbrush, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, dandelion, garden flowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi NE, blooms early Apr – late May (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 Cienega Springs
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Barren.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.48 mi N.
How Cienega Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 7th | 24th | 4th | 26th |
| Arizona | 48th | 47th | 34th | 26th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 74th | 68th | 79th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 75% 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 Cienega Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bluewater 4 mi · Parker Strip 7 mi · Parker 11 mi · Poston 18 mi · Lake Havasu City 21 mi · Bouse 24 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 Cienega Springs (34.1997, -114.2127); 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.