community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Sawmill, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (55th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, 0.14 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Sawmill?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sawmill, 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 May 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs; 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 Sawmill
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi SE.
How Sawmill ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 15th | 28th | 38th | 62nd |
| Arizona | 76th | 55th | 95th | 83rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 66th | 36th | 87th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Sawmill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fort Defiance 11 mi · Window Rock 16 mi · St. Michaels 16 mi · Nazlini 18 mi · Del Muerto 26 mi · Ganado 26 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 Sawmill (35.8862, -109.158); 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.