community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Forest Lakes, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (62nd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.12 mi S.
When is the honey flow in Forest Lakes?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, sweet clovers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Forest Lakes, 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 May 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, sweet clovers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; 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 Forest Lakes
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi SW.
How Forest Lakes ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 44th | 51st | 39th |
| Arizona | 87th | 74th | 98th | 62nd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 86th | 66th | 96th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Forest Lakes: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Christopher Creek 11 mi · Hunter Creek 12 mi · Haigler Creek 12 mi · Bear Flat 15 mi · Heber-Overgaard 15 mi · Kohls Ranch 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 Forest Lakes (34.3299, -110.8107); 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.