community in Utah
Honey bee forage in Cove, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); lentils (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cove?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cove, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 1,569 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Cove
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maple Ravine Woodland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE.
How Cove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 41st | 78th | 69th |
| Utah | 91st | 90th | 92nd | 62nd |
| Central Basin and Range | 95th | 91st | 97th | 42nd |
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 Cove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Richmond 3 mi · Lewiston 5 mi · Trenton 9 mi · Cornish 9 mi · Smithfield 10 mi · Amalga 10 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 Cove (41.9683, -111.7794); 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.