community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Tonopah, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 2.3 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tonopah?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to May 31, peaking late Apr (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tonopah, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush; white, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 1,443 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Apr – 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 Tonopah
Mostly: Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Tonopah ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 29th | 68th | 10th | 21st |
| Arizona | 90th | 91st | 54th | 17th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 86th | 90th | 88th | 28th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Tonopah: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wintersburg 6 mi · Arlington 14 mi · Buckeye 17 mi · Citrus Park 28 mi · Sunwest 30 mi · Circle City 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 Tonopah (33.488, -112.9308); 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.