city in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Yuma, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 0% of sites in Arizona. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Arizona sites. Expect a dearth from late Jan to late Jun.
When is the honey flow in Yuma?
- First forage: Jan 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Apr 30, peaking early Apr (citrus, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Dearth: Jan 16 to Jun 30
- Season ends: Jun 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Yuma, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): citrus, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; white, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): citrus, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, alfalfa; white, 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
- Citrus: about 189 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi W, blooms late Feb – late Apr
- Alfalfa: about 90 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi W, blooms late Mar – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Yuma
Mostly: Barren; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Fallow / idle cropland.
Water: none mapped within reach of the town center.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Citrus: grapefruit: insecticides used on about 63% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: lemons: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: tangerines: insecticides used on about 82% of surveyed US acres (2025); 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.
- No mapped water within a mile. Plan to provide water. Small ponds, ditches, troughs and pools don't show on these maps.
How Yuma ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | below the 1st | 1st | below the 1st | below the 1st |
| Arizona | below the 1st | below the 1st | below the 1st | below the 1st |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | below the 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Yuma: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rancho Mesa Verde 9 mi · Orange Grove Mobile Manor 10 mi · Padre Ranchitos 12 mi · Somerton 12 mi · San Luis 12 mi · Fortuna Foothills 12 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 Yuma (32.5163, -114.5218); 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.