community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Tonopah, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.22 mi SW.
When is the honey flow in Tonopah?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
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 May 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; 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
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 Tonopah
Mostly: Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.13 mi SE.
How Tonopah ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 10th | 24th | 26th | 64th |
| Nevada | 56th | 82nd | 51st | 40th |
| Central Basin and Range | 49th | 74th | 45th | 34th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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
Goldfield 26 mi · Silver Peak 32 mi · Mina 53 mi · Dyer 53 mi · Gabbs 66 mi · Kingston 78 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 (38.0822, -117.2246); 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.