community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Queen Valley, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in fall (54th percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Expect a dearth from late May to early Aug.
When is the honey flow in Queen Valley?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Dearth: May 16 to Aug 15
- Fall flow: May 1 to May 15 (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Queen 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; 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 1.1 mi NE, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Chickpeas: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi NE, blooms early Apr – early 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 Queen Valley
Mostly: Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi N.
How Queen Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 7th | 25th | 3rd | 33rd |
| Arizona | 47th | 49th | 32nd | 54th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 73rd | 69th | 76th | 92nd |
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 Queen Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gold Canyon 9 mi · Superior 10 mi · Apache Junction 15 mi · Florence 16 mi · San Tan Valley 17 mi · Queen Creek 18 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 Queen Valley (33.283, -111.305); 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.