city in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Sparks, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sparks?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sparks, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, maples; 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 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Sparks
Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.38 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.6 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 85% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Sparks ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 83rd | 62nd | 66th |
| Nevada | 99th | 100th | 96th | 43rd |
| Central Basin and Range | 97th | 100th | 90th | 38th |
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 Sparks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sun Valley 4 mi · Spanish Springs 6 mi · Golden Valley 6 mi · Reno 7 mi · Lemmon Valley 10 mi · Mogul 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 Sparks (39.5743, -119.7152); 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.