community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Gisela, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in fall (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gisela?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gisela, 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 Mar 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, rabbitbrush, 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
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late 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 Gisela
Mostly: Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Mogollon Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.41 mi SE.
How Gisela ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 45th | 5th | 30th |
| Arizona | 67th | 76th | 39th | 37th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 53rd | 68th | 11th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Gisela: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rye 4 mi · Deer Creek 4 mi · Round Valley 6 mi · Oxbow Estates 6 mi · Jakes Corner 7 mi · Payson 10 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 Gisela (34.1018, -111.288); 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.