community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Sanders, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in summer (96th percentile) and lowest in spring (82nd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.28 mi S.
When is the honey flow in Sanders?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 30 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sanders, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, weedy mustards; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 Sanders
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi SW.
How Sanders ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 29th | 53rd | 39th | 77th |
| Arizona | 90th | 82nd | 96th | 93rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 94th | 95th | 90th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Sanders: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Houck 7 mi · Wide Ruins 18 mi · Lupton 18 mi · Oak Springs 21 mi · Klagetoh 23 mi · St. Michaels 34 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 Sanders (35.2092, -109.3191); 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.