Honey bee forage in York, Arizona

When is the honey flow in York?

• First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
• Main flow: Mar 1 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
• Fall flow: May 16 to May 31 (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
• Season ends: Oct 31

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of York, 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 Mar 8.

What the honey is made of

• Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
• Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
• Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
• Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; extra 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

• Alfalfa: about 120 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
• Corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Cotton: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 York

Mostly: Chihuahuan Mixed Desert and Thornscrub; Chihuahuan Creosotebush Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Scrub.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi SW.

How York ranks

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 82% 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.

Nearby

Clifton 9 mi · Morenci 13 mi · Duncan 13 mi · Franklin 18 mi · San Jose 24 mi · Solomon 26 mi

All towns in Arizona · National map · How the scoring works

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 York (32.9163, -109.1954); 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.