community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in La Paz Valley, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 5% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it ranks highest in fall (19th percentile) and lowest in spring (5th). Expect a dearth from late Apr to late Sep.
When is the honey flow in La Paz Valley?
- First forage: Jan 1 (native wildflowers, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Dearth: Jan 16 to Jan 31
- Dearth: Apr 16 to Sep 30
- Fall flow: May 1 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Paz Valley, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
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 La Paz Valley
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Pavement.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.74 mi NW.
How La Paz Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 1st | 6th | 1st | 22nd |
| Arizona | 5th | 5th | 11th | 19th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 18th | 20th | 38th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 La Paz Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Quartzsite 8 mi · Ehrenberg 14 mi · Brenda 19 mi · Vicksburg 27 mi · Bouse 27 mi · Utting 28 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 La Paz Valley (33.5582, -114.2435); 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.