community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Tonalea, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (10th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.58 mi NE.
When is the honey flow in Tonalea?
- First forage: Mar 1 (spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tonalea, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, rabbitbrush; 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 Tonalea
Mostly: Southern Colorado Plateau Sand Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock Canyon and Tableland; Colorado Plateau Blackbrush-Mormon-tea Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.58 mi NE; open water 0.97 mi E.
How Tonalea ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 46th | 19th | 15th |
| Arizona | 68th | 78th | 75th | 10th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 63rd | 91st | 45th | 5th |
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 Tonalea: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kaibito 20 mi · Moenkopi 20 mi · Tuba City 21 mi · Shonto 25 mi · Hard Rock 33 mi · Hotevilla-Bacavi 33 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 Tonalea (36.3217, -110.9667); 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.