city in Utah
Honey bee forage in Payson, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: cherries (nearest 1.4 mi E); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 1.8 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Payson?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Payson, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; 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
- Cherries: about 255 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi E, blooms early Apr – late Apr
- Alfalfa: about 871 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – early 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 Payson
Mostly: Alfalfa; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.37 mi E; open water 0.38 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 93% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025); Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Payson ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 82nd | 79th | 69th |
| Utah | 99th | 100th | 94th | 62nd |
| Central Basin and Range | 99th | 100th | 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 Payson: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spring Lake 2 mi · West Mountain 3 mi · Elk Ridge 4 mi · Salem 4 mi · Benjamin 4 mi · Woodland Hills 5 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 Payson (40.0359, -111.7388); 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.