community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Sunwest, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in Arizona. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Arizona sites. Expect a dearth from late May to late Sep.
When is the honey flow in Sunwest?
- First forage: Jan 16 (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Feb (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Dearth: May 16 to Sep 30
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sunwest, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs; 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 642 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi W, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi W, blooms early May – late Jun (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 Sunwest
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.9 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.57 mi W.
How Sunwest ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 4th | 19th | 2nd | 28th |
| Arizona | 29th | 34th | 26th | 32nd |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 62nd | 62nd | 68th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 96% 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 Sunwest: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Salome 14 mi · Wenden 15 mi · Aguila 24 mi · Vicksburg 25 mi · Tonopah 30 mi · Brenda 30 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 Sunwest (33.651, -113.4091); 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.