community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in First Mesa, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Arizona. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Arizona sites. Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in First Mesa?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15 (rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of First Mesa, 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): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rubber rabbitbrush; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
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 First Mesa
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi NW.
How First Mesa ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 37th | 19th | 51st |
| Arizona | 63rd | 68th | 75th | 73rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 53rd | 81st | 44th | 26th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 First Mesa: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Second Mesa 7 mi · Keams Canyon 9 mi · Shongopovi 9 mi · Jeddito 14 mi · Hard Rock 16 mi · Kykotsmovi Village 16 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 First Mesa (35.8317, -110.3689); 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.