community in Utah

Honey bee forage in Maeser, Utah

Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (82nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Maeser?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Oct 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Maeser, 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 12.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • 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 205 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jun – 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 Maeser

Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi E.

How Maeser ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US81st62nd85th81st
Utah99th98th99th82nd
Colorado Plateaus100th99th100th96th

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 Maeser: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Vernal 3 mi · Naples 5 mi · Lapoint 12 mi · Jensen 14 mi · Whiterocks 19 mi · Fort Duchesne 20 mi

All towns in Utah · National map · How the scoring works

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 Maeser (40.4718, -109.5786); 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.