community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Red Mesa, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (69th). Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river, 0.65 mi SW.
When is the honey flow in Red Mesa?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, weedy mustards)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Red 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, weedy mustards, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): yellow starthistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed, asters, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters, yellow starthistle; amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, green/yellow rabbitbrush, weedy mustards, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 Red Mesa
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Colorado Plateau Blackbrush-Mormon-tea Shrubland; Southern Colorado Plateau Sand Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.65 mi SW; open water 0.65 mi SW.
How Red Mesa ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 16th | 38th | 30th | 69th |
| Arizona | 78th | 69th | 91st | 88th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 83rd | 94th | 73rd | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Red Mesa: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Teec Nos Pos 17 mi · Rock Point 23 mi · Dennehotso 30 mi · Red Rock 31 mi · Round Rock 33 mi · Lukachukai 40 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 Red Mesa (36.9711, -109.3698); 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.