city in Utah
Honey bee forage in Aurora, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Aurora?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Aurora, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, 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 2,994 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 184 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Aurora
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.45 mi SE.
How Aurora ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 54th | 84th | 70th |
| Utah | 98th | 96th | 98th | 63rd |
| Central Basin and Range | 99th | 96th | 99th | 43rd |
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 Aurora: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Salina 4 mi · Sigurd 4 mi · Redmond 7 mi · Glenwood 11 mi · Richfield 14 mi · Centerfield 16 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 Aurora (38.92, -111.9336); 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.